


Well This Sucks

by Holyshihtzu



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Anxiety, Cheating, Ending Relationship, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Happy Ending, F/F, Lots of Angst, Minor Character Death, Separations, Slow Burn, like really slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-11
Updated: 2018-08-03
Packaged: 2019-03-03 10:02:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 26,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13338909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Holyshihtzu/pseuds/Holyshihtzu
Summary: Nothing has gone Nicole's way for a while but soon she meets the enigma that is Waverly Earp.Multiple POV story told from Nicole, Shae, and Waverly's perspective.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all! Quick disclaimer if you read my other work. This (chapter, at least) isn't bubbly and super sweet like Flying High is. As I've talked about in my comments on that one, I prefer writing happy because it makes me happy. But I don't always feel that way and I wanted to try something different. Hence, this happened. Really nervous about it.

Stumbling out of the bar, Nicole was positive she had had one too many. Maybe two too many, if she was being completely honest. But this day had always been horrible to begin with, and nothing about the current month had really been going her way anyway, so she was probably just going to add her overconsumption to the list of things that she’d regret later. The hangover in the morning would solidify that for her anyway, she was sure. 

Looking around to the empty street, the realization before her hit like a freight train.

_Fuck. I lost my Uber._

Unwilling to call another, and looking to get away as soon as possible from the embarrassment she had just encountered in the bar, she immediately took off on the 25-minute journey to her apartment.

It was later than she would like, wandering the streets of the city. She wasn’t scared, but her current emotional state was less than ideal for anyone out alone at night. The flickering lights of the street lamps were the only thing grounding her, currently pushing off the wallowing sadness bubbling below the surface.

The walk felt arduous, most likely thanks to the liquor inhibiting her faculties, and even worse, it also felt never ending. Looking down, she was at least grateful that she had chosen to wear a semi comfortable pair of shoes today. Hoping to get this god awful walk over with, she decided the Converse would be able to handle a quickened pace and so she began a light jog, immediately feeling the cool night air wash over her face like a model in a facial wash commercial. Reaching up to touch her cheek, she recognized what she was actually feeling.

_Oh, nope. Seems like that is just tears._

Wiping away at the liquid currently streaming uncontrollably from her eyes, she lost her balance and found herself hurtling towards the ground, because of course she would. She laid there for a moment longer than she should have, letting herself wallow in pity before sitting up and looking down at the blood seeping down the freshly torn hole in her jeans. Moving to wipe it off, she found that her palms were also bleeding. Because of course they were. Bringing her face down to her knees, she let herself sit and just think for a minute in the fetal position, before a laugh was released at the realization she was no longer crying.

Not even bothering to try and clean up now that she was sure she was covered in blood in multiple places, she slowly stood up, deciding a walk would be best for the rest of the way.

It passed by slower than she would have liked, but it was completely uninterrupted, save for the constant buzzing in her pocket. If she was more coherent, she would have made a move to silence the device, but on a mission to get home as quick as possible, while still being hindered from the alcohol, she didn’t dare risk it.

Unlocking her front door, she moved into the darkened apartment, turning on the living room light before locking the deadbolt and securing the door chain. She made the short walk down the hall to the bathroom to assess her current physical situation.

_Yep, you look as bad as you feel._

Rinsing off the dirt and gravel from her wounds, she opted to save the rest of her first aid care for the morning, when she was sober. She shut off the light and slowly made her way to her bed, knocking over a pile of textbooks off of the bookcase in the hall when she tripped one of _her_ shoes, luckily barely catching herself by throwing a hand against a wall. Looking down she was met with one of _her_ gorgeous black pumps. Because she insisted on wearing heels to feel taller. Even though she was perfect how she was. But how was she perfect? Perfect fiancees don’t do _that_. Not when they have a fiancee. A fiancee who love them. And would do anything for them. But… if Nicole really thought about it, did she love her? She wasn’t even sure anymore.

She dropped her jeans, opting to crawl in bed in her underwear, before leaning over the side of her bed to grab her cellphone out of the pocket. The 12 missed calls and 10 texts were no surprise. Shooting off a quick _fuck off_ before shutting it down completely, Nicole closed her eyes and cried herself to sleep for the second time in two nights.

______

The pounding on the door the next morning was predictable, given the events of last night. But it was definitely not how she wanted to start her morning. Always the romantic, she preferred Saturday mornings to involve an elaborate breakfast. She’d get up early to cook, usually making pancakes topped with fresh fruit and whipped cream. Occasionally she would dare to try a new recipe, but it’d usually turn sour and she’d quickly resort to pancakes again, because they were _her_ favorite, and anything to make her happy. She’d then stop on her way to the bedroom to grab a rose from the bouquet she’d brought home for date night the night before. Then they would eat together in bed, laughing at stupid jokes, or watching the next episode of their current TV show. Sometimes they’d fool around. Sex was always a bonus, but never expected. But the pounding currently coming from down the hall. No, the pounding was not how this Saturday was supposed to go.

_Maybe if I don’t make any noise, she’ll go away._

“I know you’re in there. We need to talk!” Came a shout from behind the hall.

Groaning, she reached for the pillow from the unoccupied spot next to hers and pulled it over her head. The muffled shout she heard next was expected, and entirely unpleasant.

“I have a key, Nicole. I’m only knocking to be nice. I will use it if you don’t acknowledge me.”

Sitting up quickly, she had to steady herself for a moment as the room began to spin. Rubbing her temple, she was full of regret.

 _Yep, you definitely had too much to drink last night._

Sliding her legs over the bed, she leaned across the small space to her dresser, opening a drawer and grabbing a pair of sweats, before slipping them on quickly and walking to the closet to grab her favorite pair of Nike’s. She sat down and tied her shoes before standing again and walking towards the front door. As she walked by her reflection in the bedroom mirror, she stopped and walked slowly backwards, taking her full appearance. 

_Today is definitely a hat day._

She awkwardly combed her short red locks down the best she could with her fingers before grabbing her grey Patagonia bison hat off of the dresser top and forcing it onto her head. Shuffling towards the front door, every move hurt. The walk was slow and awkward. The fall had definitely caused more damage than she had realized last night, but she was determined to get out of her current situation and her physical training had subjected her to much worse injuries. 

As she reached for the handle, she realized she wasn’t ready to face the woman on the other side just yet. Quickly hobbling back to her room and grabbing her phone from off of the bed, she once again made the short journey to the door, still occasionally banging loudly from the woman on the other side.

The lock below her wrist clicked right as she finished removing the door chain and she felt the warm air of the apartment leave as she was greeted with a face that used to take her breath away. Today it just made her stomach turn. 

There was a pause, tension filling the air before the woman across from her spoke, “You look like shit.”

“Fuck off. Get your stuff out by 7 pm. Place is yours until then.” Moving to push through the small space left in between _her_  and the door frame, Nicole stopped only when a hand closed around her bicep.

“Cole, please.”

So, there was going to be begging. That’s how she’s playing this.

“Can we talk?”

That voice. Usually so sweet and filled with love. It just hurt. 

She didn’t hesitate before the words spilled out, “Text me when you’re gone.”

She shook free of her grip and limped out the door.

______

It took her a moment, standing and rubbing her forehead, now currently throbbing from the hangover, to remember that she was in a rental. Her car had been stolen. Of all places from a hospital. Because who wouldn’t want to fuck over someone who’s currently watching their last living family member, that will speak to them anyway, die.

Aunt Lorraine had always loved her like a daughter. She had never had kids, saying she found them to be “obnoxious” and “demanding” and did not want them prohibiting her from a life of adventure. But even still, she had loved Nicole as if she had been her own, even harder than her own actual parents had. Aunt Lorraine took Nicole for pedicures, and to meet Mickey Mouse for the first time, and they went dress shopping, and when she found out Nicole didn’t even like wearing dresses all that much, she took her out to buy her a nice suit, because, “Regardless of what you prefer, Nicole, you still need to look presentable sometimes.” The two of them backpacked through Europe to celebrate Nicole graduating high school, and then she had paid for her first year of college, and cosigned on her first car. Aunt Lorraine had done everything for her.

And when Aunt Lorraine had gotten sick, Nicole had dropped everything to be with her. She had dropped her classes, she had taken a step back at work, she had even stopped spending so much time with _her_ , but could you really fault someone for that?

And then two days ago Aunt Lorraine had died. It was good, honestly. Usually a robust woman, she was small at the end, and definitely not her usually snappy self. And Nicole knew that Aunt Lorraine was bigger than that, and deserved better, so she was happy for her. But walking outside, after talking with the doctors and calling funeral homes, and finding her car gone, Nicole felt that someone was playing a cruel joke on her. But they weren’t. It was gone, and now she was driving this lackluster sedan, with all of its boring features, in a world without vigorous Aunt Lorraine, and _she_ had done that.

Now driving aimlessly feeling sorry for herself, Nicole decided that if she was going to tackle this day, she needed caffeine. Realigning her priorities, Nicole turned her boring rental around and pointed it to her favorite coffee shop.

Pulling into the parking spot just outside the door, she could barely make out the long line through the tinted windows.

_There’s never a line for my coffee at home._

With a sigh, she stepped out of her car and headed towards the shop, taking her place in line. She looked around for a moment before remembering her phone was still off. She pulled it out and turned it on for the first time since last night.

After going through the minute warmup, it began chirping incessantly as the notifications began streaming in.

_5 voicemails_

_21 texts_

Trying her best to silence the loud device, she fidgeted awkwardly, looking around and mumbling sorry before opting to pull her cap low and just try to physically hide herself. The brunette woman with a messy bun in front of her turned, quirking an eyebrow in her direction, before burying her head back in the book she had been holding.

Nicole wasn’t sure whether she had silenced the device, or the notifications had finally ceased, but she allowed relief to wash over her as the attention around her dissipated.

Shuffling absentmindedly forward in the line as she read through her texts, she was greeted with things you would have expected to hear. “I’m sorry” and “Please answer your phone” and “I love you” and “We can fix this.” The messages had stung, and a tear escaped her eyes as she scrolled.

_Bullshit._

“Hi there! What can I make for you today?”

There was a pause before the brunette-haired woman, who had apparently already ordered and was now standing a little bit to Nicole’s left, cleared her throat.

“Excuse me.” Nicole felt a poke on her arm and then a point towards the register. “I think it’s your turn,” she said before going back to her book once again.

Stepping forward, Nicole put on her best apologetic face. “Can I get a medium nonfat mocha with an extra shot please?”

“Sure thing! That’ll be 5.66.”

Reaching for her pocket, Nicole suddenly remembered the one thing she forgot when she walked out on Shae this morning.

_Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Of course._

Panic washed over her, now evidently creeping up to her face, she raised her eyes to meet a now clearly impatient barista.

Before she could utter an apology or excuse, a card passed in front of her face and was taken by the barista before Nicole could even register what was happened. She looked to her left only to see warm eyes smiling at her.

“My treat.”

“You don’t have to do that.” Nicole went to ask the barista to cancel her order right as the other brunette’s card was swiped.

“Too late.” She laughed as her card was handed back to her. “I’m happy to help.”

Always uncomfortable with accepting help, she genuinely didn’t know what to do. “Well, can I just say that you have made my month then?”

“Good. I’m glad.”

_How does she have the most reassuring eyes on the planet?_

“Waverly?!” Came a voice from behind the counter as a large iced tea was placed on the surface and the woman next to her stepped slightly forward and claimed her drink.

“Thanks, Waverly. I appreciate it.”

“No problem…?”

There was a pause before Nicole picked up on the silent question.

“Sorry, I’m Nicole.” As their hands met, Waverly's smile, if possible, deepened.

“Nice to meet you, Nicole.”

That smile. She had a smile so radiant she could put the sun to shame.

“You too, Waverly.”

She turned and left then, leaving Nicole with gratitude in her heart.

As the woman behind the counter called out _Waverly_ once more, Nicole looked around the bustling shop, hoping to see the kind stranger again before realizing that the call was simply her mocha, assigned to the card with which it was paid. She stepped forward and grabbed it, thanking the woman behind the counter before she left.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hesitated with the cheating because _been there done that,_ but I needed something a SO would do that would just be sad, so I went with it anyway. Hopefully you can forgive me for using it.
> 
> If you didn't hate this, let me know. If you did, still let me know and I'll try and take it without weeping incessantly. 
> 
> Kidding. (not kidding)
> 
> Have a good night, folks!
> 
> P.S. I edit these myself and I get lazy asf while editing, so sorry if there are glaring mistakes. I try and fix them as I catch them (plus I get super embarrassed when I find them and I always try to do better on the next chapter... but again, still lazy.)
> 
> And last thing, characters are not mine but am super grateful I get to borrow them for stuff like this!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shae POV

Usually, Saturday mornings would involve breakfast in bed. It was their time, and they used it wisely, usually laughing and cuddling and kissing. Occasionally there would be sex. God, that sex. Mindblowingly good. They both knew it. They both loved it.

One Saturday morning, there was a bottle of champagne next to the orange juice on the tray Nicole always carried in with two plates full of pancakes.

She stared down at it for a moment before looking over curiously. “Drinking at 9 am are we?”

“I wanted something special to go with the occasion.”

“What occasion, Nicole? Did I forget something again?” Dating an incredibly thoughtful person had its drawbacks, especially when that thoughtful person had the memory of an elephant.

“No, it’s not been established yet.” There was a smirk with a glimmer of something Shae couldn’t quite parse.

“What?” She asked playfully.

And then she handed her a card. A card that went through everything. Their history together. The rock climbing trip where Nicole and her had met. The hospital room that she had slept in for six nights while Nicole recovered from her fall. Their official first date, to the lake to wander the boardwalk when they kissed on the pier. Their third date, when Nicole and her had sex for the first time, and how awkward and hilarious it was. Their fifth date when they started getting the sex right. The weekend when they rented a cabin with no connection to the outside world, forcing them to play card games all weekend together. The day they moved in together, how exciting it was. The day Nicole proposed.

Confused, Shae looked up as a tear slipped down her cheek. Looking over towards her girlfriend, saw a little black box that Nicole had grabbed out of the bedside table while she was reading. And then they were kissing and touching and moaning and crying and laughing and her heart was full. The day they got engaged, that was a good day. 

But now, things hadn’t been good for a while. They both knew it. Life happened and things changed and now she didn’t know what to do. Breakfast in bed stopped. The further along she got in her program, the more her responsibilities at the hospital increased. The more her responsibilities increased, the prouder they both became, realizing now that her hard work was finally paying off. But it came at a cost.

Still working on education of her own, Nicole found the closer she was to finishing her Master’s in Forensic Psychology, the less time she had to devote too. They stopped talking. On Saturday mornings, when they were together, at least, instead of pancakes and laughter and sex in bed, they’d have cereal and silence and Netflix on the couch. It was working then, not well, but it still worked. And then Lorraine got sick. Nicole wasn’t around, she dropped what little work she had been doing at the police station to be there. Money became tight, the pittance Shae was bringing in as she finished her degree paid the bills, but nothing was left and everything was hard. Alternating between fighting and silence was exhausting so eventually she moved out and went to go stay with Megan. 

They both loved Megan, so it was hard to ask her if she could sleep in her guest bedroom. It wasn’t fair for her to pick a side, however impassively simply offering a room may be, it still felt like a betrayal of sorts. Nicole wasn’t bitter though, because she was a great person like that, but it obviously hurt her.

Megan became a great sounding board for Shae’s insecurities. Things were still developing in her career and she was struggling with a work identity while her personal life was falling apart. Whenever she was home, however sporadic that had become, her and Megan would stay up laughing and drinking and watching Netflix. It was nice to laugh again. Nicole didn’t call. Shae didn’t try either. It was broken, yes, but neither were sure how to mend it.

There was one particular day. That day was bad. Mr. Jones had died on her. He was getting better and they were smiling one moment, talking about how excited he was to go to his granddaughter’s play at school, and then there were monitors and attendings and chaos. And he was gone. And she had been assured it wasn’t her fault, but it still felt horrible. But you don’t get to grieve as a doctor so she kept going. And then everyone needed her at once and so she was pulled in ten different directions and Nicole called. For the first time in weeks she had called. And Shae was busy, so she didn’t answer. And then she called again. And again. But things were going wrong all around her, but she answered anyway. The “Do you have to call now, Nicole?” felt harsh and hostile, but it was out and it hung there for what felt like eternity before she got a “Nevermind” and then the line was dead.

And then she found herself in the bar, celebrating Megan’s promotion. They were laughing, and dancing, and socializing with friends they hadn’t seen in a while. There was a little flirting, but Shae blamed that on the liquor. And then they were in line to go to the restroom and Megan was leaning in, closer and closer. A hand went on the wall behind Shae, and she felt warm fingers ghost her hip. She smiled at her, but her insides were turning. Then there were gorgeous, soft lips on hers before her mouth parted and a warm tongue appeared. There was electricity and revulsion coursing through her simultaneously. And when the kiss was over, Nicole was there. Because of course she would be there. And her heart was broken, it was plain to see. And Shae’s was broken too. And then Nicole clearly pushed her sadness away and anger appeared as she walked forward, stumbling a little. When she went to go yell, Shae winced waiting for the anger to make an appearance. There was only silence. When she opened her eyes, she saw a tear slip down Nicole’s face, which she quickly wiped away, and then she turned to run, stumbling and loudly knocking a chair over in front of everyone in the process. And then she was gone and Megan was apologizing and the next song started playing and a table nearby started laughing but all Shae heard was silence, and it was deafening.

She eventually made for the exit, pushing away from Megan standing next to her, apologizing and grabbing at her arm. The cool air outside hit her hard, but not as hard as the realization that Nicole was nowhere to be seen. Pulling out her phone, she finally called the person who used to be the only one she called. Scrolling through her recent contacts, her heart dully ached when she realized her name was nowhere near the top. When she finally glanced upon Nicole's name, the memory of her hostile words flooded back to her. The air rushed out of her lungs and she took a step back and leaned against the brick, looking for an anchor. After steadying herself, the calls began. She called and called and called. And then texted. “I love you” and “We can fix this” and “Please” all felt hollow every time she thought back to Nicole’s face, broken before her.

She didn’t chase after her because she couldn’t bring herself to face it, and she knew Nicole well enough to leave her pride alone for the night. But she knew that there was no way in hell she could face her fiancee in the morning if she stayed with Megan, so she went to the hospital and grabbed a pair of scrubs to sleep in and just hoped people assumed she was on call. And she continued texting and calling, knowing her messages were futile, but trying made herself feel like there was hope. And then there was a simple text, a _Fuck off_ came through and Shae felt her hope falter slightly, but picked up the phone to call, but instead of a ringtone she heard a voicemail. And then she knew that if she was to maintain hope, she couldn’t stop. So she left a voicemail and a text and another voicemail and another text. And eventually it felt pointless. So she laid down and she waited for tears to overtake her but they didn’t, and she felt broken then. Broken and devastated and alone, and eventually that was replaced with sleep. 

______ 

The next morning, she awoke with a start. It was if someone had dumped ice cold water on her, but after taking a moment to collect herself, she realized that feeling was just the memory of what had happened. So she got up, went to her locker, and made herself up. _To win back someone you love, you have to look good_ , she thought. And before she knew it, she was staring at her front door.

 _You can do this, Shae_

But nothing. 

_You need to fix this, Shae._

Still nothing.

Finally, she knocked. And knocked. And pounded. And then she threatened to use her key. Eventually her fiancee was in front of her, tension filled the air and Shae struggled to breathe. She forced out the only words that made sense, “You look like shit,” and the second it came out, she hated herself.

And then Nicole was moving to leave and Shae was trying to correct, but it was too late and the “Get your stuff out” felt like a punch to the gut and she knew now how bad it really was. Because even when she was with Megan, her stuff was with Nicole, a symbolic part of their partnership still united. But Nicole didn’t want her now and then she was gone and Shae staggered into the place they called home and collapsed in a heap of tears and loneliness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the Angst McAngsterton here. I know I talk about hating it in Flying High, and really that's not a lie. TBH this stuff feels reaalllyyyy challenging for me because it's not my normal style... But it's also kinda super fun to write because it is a challenge. 
> 
> I actually had about 20 pages of this story written already and then the idea to add Shae's perspective in as well kind of messed up what I have already written... but hopefully it's still useable! Anywho, hopefully this isn't the worst!
> 
> Also, I can say, next chapter is Waverly POV.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to just be Waverly's POV, but it felt wrong including details of her life since this is Nicole's story (for now, at least.) So, in order to not upload a chapter of only 500 words, the story shifts back to Nicole's POV after the dotted line.

Turning to face the incessant chirping coming from behind her, Waverly took in the tall woman with striking red hair, clearly trying frantically to silence the device in her hands. Raising an eyebrow, Waverly took in her disheveled appearance. Her vibrant hair looked greasy and unkempt under her ball cap, her t-shirt looked like it had been slept in, wrinkles littering the fabric, and when Waverly took in her face, she could see there was a faint mascara line running down the side of her cheek, as if she had cried recently and had haphazardly wiped it off. Waverly’s heart fell at the sight of her; always one to lift another in need, she knew she needed to help this woman. She was also very aware that had been watching her for a bit too long and decided to turn her head back to her book, making sure to keep an eye on the somber woman behind her.

Placing the _Linguistics of American Sign Language_ book she had just been reading under her arm, she stepped forward when the man in front of her finished his transaction. Waverly quickly placed her default order, a medium iced chai with almond milk, opting to forego her usual croissant order today, as Jeremy had promised to bring donuts in to work, and handed over her card. She politely thanked the barista and moved aside then, pulling out her book and continuing to read, still close enough that she could keep an eye on the wounded woman. It didn't take long for her to require some assistance and Waverly cleared her throat and went to reach for her, right as she noticed a tear escape her eye at the phone she as engrossed in. Waverly’s heart broke once more, but she persisted, opting to save the woman any embarrassment from the clearly annoyed employee behind the counter who was simply trying to clear the line.

“Excuse me, I think it’s your turn,” she muttered in her best soothing voice, the one she usually reserved for her student’s when they were sitting panic stricken, during one of her famously difficult exams, and then she turned her eyes back to her book, trying to make it appear as if she wasn’t watching her every move.

She witnessed the panic out of the corner of her eye as she frantically checked her pockets after placing her order, clearly coming up empty, and Waverly knew then how she could help. Grabbing her card out of her wallet faster than the woman could cancel her order, she handed it over to the employee for payment.

The interaction was a blur after that. Not wanting to draw attention to the fact that she had been watching the entire time, Waverly insisted she was happy to help after the woman had thanked her, and she tried to act as nonchalant as her little body would allow. The moment she could excuse herself from the situation, she did. Sitting in her car, she took a moment to appreciate the interaction, making a mental note to appreciate her blessings and took off towards the University. She had promised her first class that she would be there a half hour before to answer questions on the exam, and she was nothing if not a woman of her word.

**************************************************************************************************************************

She waited later than she had intended. Killing time wandering Ikea had just solidified the empty feeling inside. As families and happy couples brushed by, she stared blankly at the unfinished Tarva bed frame in front of her. It wasn’t until an unattended redheaded toddler had tugged at her pant leg that she even realized she was in a trance. Looking down, she smiled a smile that did not quite reach her eyes as the child pointed to his head and said “Same.”

Getting down on her haunches, she put on her kindest voice and warmly responded. “I love your hair, little buddy.” She paused and looked around before she continued, “Do you happen to know where your parents are?”

He shook his head as he looked expectantly at her.

Standing up and reaching for his hand, she knew that although she was not in the mood to protect and serve right now, her new little friend was in need of help, and Nicole would always do what was right.

“Alright, let’s go find them.”

Nicole noted that in a different life, the pair of them would make an adorable family. Although he had striking green eyes, he did look fairly similar to her. She thought back to the conversation she had had with _her_ a year ago this time. 

> _Throwing her head back against the pillow, she exhaled loudly as she came down from her high. As Shae crawled out from under the sheets, she quickly wiped her mouth in the crook of her elbow before she smiled and leaned in for a kiss._
> 
> _“God, I love you.” Nicole moved to sit up after accepting the kiss._
> 
> _As Shae moved to gently sit down on her, she responded, “You’re just saying that because of the orgasm.”_
> 
> _Giggling, she offered, “Yeah, you’re right.”_
> 
> _Leaning forward, the she pinched her bicep. “You’re not supposed to agree, Nicole!”_
> 
> _“Ow!” she rubbed at the spot before continuing, “Well then don’t say things you know aren’t true.” There was a lull before she added with a smirk, “Speaking of saying things that aren’t true, you do know that I can’t physically put babies in you, right? Please tell me your fancy doctor education has taught you that.”_
> 
> _Shae pinched her bicep again, and then leaned forward and ghosted her lips against her neck, taking a moment to suck a light purple bruise before she pulled away and sat back down to reply, “Of course I do. Doesn’t mean I can’t, and won’t for that matter, say things in the heat of the moment. Plus, I do want to have your babies one day, obviously.”_
> 
> _“Again, I want to point out that you can’t physically have my babies.” She smirked, knowing she was being an ass but quickly backed off when Shae went to pinch her a third time, “Okay, okay, okay. Uncle.” She grabbed her shoulders, pulling her down, skin to skin, so close that their noses were touching. Her eyes sparkled when she looked into her and wholeheartedly said, “I can’t wait for you to have my babies, either.”_

“Oh, thank god!”

Nicole, snapped back to reality when she felt the tug of the little boy’s hand being yanked from hers as he was picked up by, what Nicole assumed to be, his mom, a tall blonde woman with short, blonde hair. 

“Thank you so much for finding Tyson! His older sister took off towards the living room essentials and my wife and I had to team up to catch her. I swear she will make a great soccer player one day, the way she can evade people. Anyway, when we turned around, Ty here was gone.” She smiled at her son who was hugging her tightly around the neck.

Nicole smiled a half smile before she remembered she needed to respond, “Happy to help, ma’am.”

_Ma’am? You’re not on duty, Nicole._

It was then that a skinny redhead ran up next to the blonde woman, panting slightly while holding what looked to be a very angry four-year-old, who was currently trying to squirm free under her arm. “I’m taking her to the car, honey. I am done.”

“We still need to get to lighting, though!” The blonde woman holding the little boy had pleading eyes as she silently asked for her wife to stay.

The redhead shook her head as she responded, “Dammit, you’re right.”

“Mom, Mommy said a bad word!” Came from the young girl, who had finally stopped struggling under her mom’s arm.

“Don’t start, Evie.” Came from both women simultaneously, and it was then that Nicole realized she was in a trance again.

Nicole went to slowly backing away from the women when the blonde stopped her, thrusting forward the hand not holding her son and stilled Nicole’s exit with a handshake. “Thank you again for finding him! We really appreciate it.”

The redhead nodded in agreement and went to set her daughter down, giving her a stern look in the process.

“Not a problem. You ladies have a good day.” Nicole backed away quickly now, needing out of this situation.

 _That life is gone for you now, Nicole._

Her usually steady breathing picked up a rapid pace at her thought of everything that was crumbling around her, and she could feel a panic attack coming on. Rushing to the nearest mirror, she placed her hands down on the dresser below and focused on her breathing as she stared at her reflection. It had been years since she had had a panic attack, not since her first year of college, and she was not willing to have one in the middle of Ikea on a Saturday, as children were screaming while they ran around her.

Deciding this was not the place she was going to be spending the rest of her afternoon, she wound her way through the never-ending shortcuts and finally made her way out the front doors. Appreciating being outside, she paused momentarily to take in the fresh, unrecycled air.  

Nicole opted to take the short drive up the canyon then, and spent the rest of the afternoon lying on a jacket she had found in the backseat of her rental, laying far enough off the path that she couldn’t be seen. She had tried to go up the mountain but found she couldn’t go as far as she would have liked, still a little sore from her fall the night before. She relished the breeze and the lack of complications the mountains provided her. Aunt Lorraine had loved the mountains too, and she was relieved to find that the thought of her recently deceased Aunt made her smile right now, rather than cry, positive she couldn’t handle crying right now.

______

When she walked into her darkened apartment later that night, she was both surprised and unsurprised to see a familiar face sitting on their couch.

“I told you to get out.” She heard the words tumble from her mouth, harsh and so unlike her normal happy self. She watched Shae flinch as she took in the statement, but found she felt no remorse.

Shae thought carefully, clearly debating her next words. “That’s not really something you can tell me, you know. Our names are both on this lease.”

“That’s bullshit and you know it, Shae.” The harsh tone was back and Nicole silently wondered if this was who she was now, of if this was what she had made her into. “You were too busy at the hospital to pick this place out, and you hated it the second you saw it.”

“Yeah, well you liked it and I liked—like you. So that’s why my name is on it.” She looked down at her hands, away from Nicole’s glare.

Knowing this line of argument was not why she was here, Nicole decided to get back on track. She walked over to the couch then, making sure she sat as far as possible and grabbed for the throw pillows Shae had picked out. Making a show of placing the pillows in between both of their bodies, effectively creating a greater divide, Nicole raised her eyebrows. “Why are you here?”

“I want to talk.” Her eyes were pleading as she shifted her body to face Nicole.

She scoffed before responding, “What’s to talk about? You’re obviously over us.”

“You misinterpreted last night.” Shae's voice quivered as the spoke.

“I went to the bar to tell you my aunt died and I saw you kissing someone else. How did I misinterpret that? I may have been drunk, but I know what I saw.”

“Lorraine died?” She moved for Nicole, reaching for her knee. Nicole quickly brushed off the contact. 

Shae, awkwardly resting her hand back in her lap tried again, “When did she die, Nicole? And why didn’t you call me as it was happening. I would have been there for you.”

“You told me not to bother you, remember?” Nicole thought back to that phone call, she was desperate for someone to hold her that night and she knew that her fiancee was the only woman she could call to help her after a long day of watching her aunt slowly slip away. She hadn’t talked to Shae in weeks, she didn’t know how to any more. Nicole knew it was unfair to Shae to only come back for physical contact, but the desperation overrode her better judgement. When she had been snapped at, Nicole had snapped internally, collapsing in a heap on her bedroom floor as she sobbed uncontrollably. She had woken there the next morning, effectively brushed herself off, and continued her life, a little colder and more broken than before. Sitting here now, she didn’t even know if she knew who she was anymore. Her calm and caring persona missing. She wasn’t sure who she was hearing speak, but she knew it wasn’t her usual self. 

A tear slipped down Shae's face and she moved to quickly wipe it away. “I— that— Nicole—” She was obviously trying to find the right words to say. She continued to struggle for a moment before she choked out a quiet, “You know I would have been there for you.” 

“I handled it.”

The room was silent for a moment, tension lacing the apartment.

“You didn’t have to.”

“I sure as hell did, and you know it.”

“Listen, I’m sorry. I was busy, and it wasn’t fair to you.”

“You’re always busy. And nothing in my life is fair, especially lately. Now tell me more about the tongue I saw you shove down my friend’s throat last night.”

“She kissed me.” 

“Yeah, like I believe that.” She sneered and then stood up and moved to walk away, but was stopped by a hand that had reached for her wrist. 

“Nicole Haught. Listen to me. Yes, Megan and I kissed, but I swear to you she initiated it. And the second it happened it felt gross and wrong. You are the only person I want to kiss. Period.”  

“I find that really hard to believe. You didn’t even fucking come home until this morning.”

“I knew you’d be mad. I know you, Nicole. I thought today made more sense for us to talk.”

“You don’t get to make decisions like that for ‘us.’ I mean, god Shae, is there even an _us_ anymore?”

“Baby.” Her voice was pleading and Nicole, always a sucker for the pet name felt tears welling up in her eyes as she looked down at the hand still clutching her wrist. She went to go pull it away then, looking around frantically, almost as if she was a wild animal, realizing for the first time that it was trapped in a cage. She couldn’t be here right now. Everything was wrong. Lorraine was dead and Shae was here saying things Nicole couldn’t believe. Paralyzed by the overwhelming feelings bubbling to the surface, she fell to the floor and began to sob uncontrollably. It wasn’t until she felt her fiancee kneel beside her, long arms wrapping around her tightly, that she even registered what was happening. She allowed herself to succumb to Shae's embrace, who gently moved them back onto the couch and stroked her red hair as she held her until she stopped crying.

Nicole, for the first time in a long while, let herself feel small and weak, before gently sitting up, wiping at her eyes and putting up her protective barriers once more.

“You can sleep on the couch if you want to stay here tonight.”

“Okay. We can fix this, Nicole.” The heartfelt plea in her eyes told Nicole she meant that, but she wasn’t sure what she wanted anymore. Everything felt different now.

Deciding to push down the change she could feel in the air, she instead decided to test Shae’s commitment to her last statement.

“Do you work tomorrow? I’m planning Lorraine’s funeral.”

It wasn’t a question, but Shae knew what the police officer meant. “I’ll be there. Let me call Dr. Singh and tell him I won’t be in. He can cover my critical patients; the interns can handle the long-term ones.”

Nicole nodded as she stood up and headed towards her– their bedroom, utterly spent. Not even bothering to shower or brush her teeth, she closed the door quietly and kicked off her shoes before falling into bed and passing out.

______

She awoke to light streaming down on her face. Sitting up slowly, she searching around the room for the time before she leaned down to the floor and grabbed her cell phone out of the pocket of the pants she had dropped as she haphazardly stripped last night. As she suspected, it was dead. She plugged it in to the charger next to her bed and stood up slowly, bones cracking as she stretched. Walking out of her bedroom door, she was greeted by the smell of bacon and the sound of 90’s boy bands playing quietly from the speakers above their fridge.

She made her way to the kitchen and was greeted with a sight she hadn’t seen in years, Shae was cooking, and dancing, and acting like they weren’t the broken shell of a couple once passionately in love.

Shae turned around then and caught sight of her, pantsless and disheveled, staring. Shae smirked and stepped forward tentatively, clearly still unsure as to where they stood, and held out a pan full of scrambled eggs. “I made breakfast.”

It was a gesture, Nicole could tell. But one breakfast did not make up for everything else. Everything still felt raw.

“I—I have an errand this morning, Shae. I’m sorry, I can’t.” 

Her face fell and Nicole had to keep her resolve so she didn’t stay just to make her happy. 

She looked down at the pan for a moment before she looked back up. “Okay. I’ll put it in the fridge. Maybe we can have it for dinner?”

“Yeah, yeah maybe. Um… I have to go get ready, sorry.”

Turning and leaving then, she headed back to their bedroom, tripping once more over Shae’s high heel, which she bent down to grab this time. She threw it in their closet before she grabbed a change of clothes and hurried into the bathroom. Setting the shower to the hottest setting she could tolerate, she let the droplets cleanse both her body and mind. Eventually she stepped out and hurried to get dressed, blow drying her hair in the process. Not wanting to spend the time to do it, she opted to run back into the bedroom and grab her hat again, pulling it down over her frizzy red locks. She grabbed her phone and went to run out the door when she was stopped by Shae sitting at the bar attached to the counter, eating a plate of eggs alone. 

“When and where should I meet you, Nicole?”

“Um… I think it’s called Evergreen Funeral Home. It’s on 45th. My appointment is at noon.” She rushed out the words, needing to free herself from the broken normalcy of this situation.

“Okay. I’ll see you then.” 

And with that, Nicole was gone.

______

Nicole did not know where to go as her exit plan had not been thought out, but she knew she couldn’t stay in her home right now. She had grown accustomed to living alone the last few months. Shae had moved in with Megan after a particularly bad fight. She kept picturing her former friend’s tongue slip into her fiancee’s mouth and she cringed at the thought, leaving a bad taste in her mouth. Deciding to cleanse her palette with coffee, she decided to head to her coffee shop to kill a little time.

After triple checking her wallet was in her back pocket today, Nicole made the short drive to the same shop she had gone to yesterday, her go to place. Taking her place in the long line, she looked around expectantly and was disheartened to find that she did not see  _Waverly_  who had graciously paid for her coffee yesterday. 

She stepped up to the counter, this time paying full attention, and quickly placed her order. 

“Can I get a medium flat white with an extra shot, please?”

“Sure thing. That’ll be 5.66.” The woman behind the counter was much bubblier than the man yesterday. Nicole noted that it was probably because she was not distracted today.

Passing her card forward, she rocked back and forth on her heels as she waited. When the transaction was done, she took her card back and moved over to the side. Looking back mindlessly to the entrance when she heard the door chime, she was greeted with a familiar face touting the warmest smile Nicole had ever seen. She ducked around the others waiting for their orders and went to stand next to Waverly, who had taken her place at the back of the line.

“Hello, Nicole. Fancy seeing you here two days in a row.” She had a large book tucked under her arm, clearly anticipating the long line.

Nicole waved as she approached, stepping next to her, far enough away to appease the angry man who walked in behind Waverly, who would clearly not tolerate anyone skipping him. “I’m glad you showed up. I forgot my wallet again.”

Waverly immediately looked concerned then, and went to reach for her card. “Did you? I’d be glad to help agai—"

She was cut off by Nicole’s hand being gently placed over hers. “I’m sorry, that was a joke.” The realization hit her suddenly and she laughed a laugh that Nicole found to be the most wonderful thing she had ever heard. “Actually, I was hoping I’d see you so I could pay for your coffee. It’s the least I can do to thank you after yesterday.”

“Oh, that’s sweet, but no.”

Nicole was shocked at the abruptness, a stark contrast to Waverly's soft features.

“No?” She questioned.

“Yeah, no. I don’t do favors to get them in return, I do them because I want to.” She shuffled forward slightly, as the line moved.

Nicole went to follow and cocked her head to the side as she asked, “What if I wanted to do this?”

She pulled out her book and looked over, firmly stating, “No,” before opening up to the bookmarked page.

“Well, that’s ridiculous.” Nicole was equal parts irritated and intrigued.

She looked up from her page and offered the most absurd reply Nicole had heard in a while. “You’re ridiculous,” before immediately going back to her book.

“You don’t know me.” Nicole defended as she shuffled forward, apologizing to a woman she accidentally bumped into in the process.

“I know you well enough now to be able to tell you you’re being ridiculous right now. Plus, I’m pretty good at reading people so...” Waverly trailed off and then looked at the barista who had greeted her while Nicole was busy arguing. “Hi there. Can I get a medium iced chai with almond milk please? And a croissant?”

Nicole, obviously ignoring the existence of the woman behind the counter, as well as the man next to the her currently holding a coffee yelling, “Nicole” repeatedly, pleaded, “This is hurtful. Let me buy you that cup of coffee and I’ll prove you wrong.”

“Sorry, Nicole. Answer’s still no. Nice try though.” She leaned forward and handed the woman her card, apologetically smiling at the employee in the process. Waverly looked back at Nicole and shifted her gaze towards the confused restaurant employee holding her drink, “Nicole, take that drink from the poor man already.”

Nicole turned around then, realizing she had been ignoring him and took her drink, apologizing profusely to the man who simply gave her evil eyes and walked away. When she looked back she was met by Waverly, now completely in her personal space, who was also getting closer by the second. “W-what are you doing?”

Nicole watched as she slowly approached, her breath hitched as her lithe body came nearer and nearer. She internally told herself to move out of her way, but was found herself paralyzed and full of inaction. At the last moment, she leaned around Nicole’s tall frame and grabbed for a napkin, before stepping back and smirking.

“So, aren’t you done here?” Waverly asked casually. 

Nicole, thrown off by hers dismissal, quirked an eyebrow. “How can you call me ridiculous when you’re the one practically shooing me out of the restaurant?”

“Good point. We’re both ridiculous then.” Waverly turned as her name was called and grabbed for her chai and croissant. As she walked towards the door, she turned back around to the still stunned Nicole, “Have a good day, Nicole.”

And with that, she was gone, leaving Nicole to wonder what had just happened.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shae POV: Meeting Waverly

A fork scraped loudly along the tempered glass of the square dinner plates, sending a shiver down her spine. Sitting side by side at the bar had never been an issue before, mainly because they usually ate tangled together on the couch or in their bed, but the current situation she found herself in was awkward and slightly cold, and definitely not one where she could suggest they head to their bedroom to lighten the mood. In fact, the only time she had seen her bedroom in the last week was when Nicole would leave to go get coffee in the morning, a new trait she had noticed Nicole had picked up since she had been back to staying in their apartment, and Shae would hurry in and go grab some clothes and then go shower before heading off to the hospital. 

Today was the first day back to work for Nicole, after being off for over a month, and she looked like shit, if Shae was being honest with herself. Usually she had a glow about herself, but today that was gone. Nicole's hair hung limp around her face, she was a shade paler than her already pale complexion, and her outfit looked haphazardly thrown together, instead of carefully pieced. Deciding she could not ignore her demeanor any longer, Shae put her fork down and chose to quietly speak up.

“Ba— Nicole?”

“Hmm?” She looked over. Shae was grateful that the scornful gaze Nicole had given her the first few days of her being home had been dropped. That look had initially made every conversation particularly difficult, adding tension to the already tense apartment, but now she was back to her usual look, albeit without her normal glow.

“Are you ok—” Realizing she was asking the wrong question of a person who had recently lost her closest relative and had witnessed her fiancee kissing another woman, she stopped and chose a different approach. “Can I take you out to lunch today?”

“Why would yo—” Nicole stopped as well, closed her mouth while she obviously thought for a moment before she spoke again. “Don’t you have work?” She asked as she went back to eating her pancakes.

“I’m working a half day this morning. I’m going in tonight to cover for Dr. Singh.”

“Is he still mad about your days off last week?” Nicole looked over at her then, concern laced in her eyes.

Shae thought back to the pleading she had to do to get Lorraine’s funeral off. Dr. Singh had not been kind when she approached him about taking a few days to rectify her personal life and tend to her ailing fiancee. She had been forced to take his night shifts for the next three months in the unfair exchange, but she hadn’t told Nicole the extent of the transaction. Sensing her guilt, she immediately placed a hand on her Nicole's arm, hoping the touch would not be unwanted.

“Hey. I was happy to do it. You are more important. You know that, right?” She looked deeply into Nicole's brown eyes as she spoke.

Nicole looked down at the hand on her arm and then looked back up at her. “I’m still sorry.” She used the hand that wasn’t being held down by Shae to pick up her fork and continue stabbing at her pancakes. “Lunch would be… nice. Can you do 1:30?”

“Sure can.” She took her hand back and placed it in her lap, her body turning in the stool she was sitting in to completely face Nicole, who was still pointed towards the counter.

“So…” She paused, not wanting to say her next words, but knowing she needed to. “Megan needs me to come get my stuff.”

She watched as her body immediately stiffened, hand tensing around her fork. There was a moment of silence before Nicole simply harrumphed.

Shae, relieved that she hadn’t stormed away like she had been mentally preparing herself for, continued. “I was hoping you could come with me?”

There was another long pause before Nicole finally spoke. “When?”

“I told her I needed to ask when you could come before I could give her a time I’d be there.” She figured honesty was important, and she was trying to be as transparent as she could while she did her best to help Nicole through everything. Megan had been texting her incessantly for the last few days, usually she just ignored it, but the messages about picking up her belongings were becoming harsher, and she debated just letting Megan throw the things out like she had threatened, but she needed her laptop, which she was still working without, and her grandmother’s necklace that was currently sitting on the bedside table at Megan's house.

Nicole slowly set her fork down and then turned so her body was facing Shae’s, knees bumping awkwardly before letting the inside of her thighs rest against Shae’s. “I’m free tomorrow night.”

Shae smiled, thankful for the contact, and placed her hands on Nicole's knees. They were both trying. “Perfect.”

______

Stepping into the police station, she squinted as she looked around for her fiancee in the crowded space. 

“Can I help you, Dr. Pressman?” She turned and was greeted by a man she recognized as Nedley, Nicole’s boss.

“Hello, Sheriff Nedley. Is Nicole around? We have lunch plans.” She was tentative around the man, a large gentleman with a surly demeanor who still frightened her, even though Nicole had assured her he had a heart of gold.

“She’s in the basement sorting through records. Give me a minute and I’ll get her up here.” He walked off, heading towards a doorway near the back of the room and she moved to a wall, hoping to blend in while she waited.

Opting to pull out her phone, she opened the new text from Megan.

> _Tomorrow night works. I’m so sorry. I miss you._

She thought for a moment about responding before she closed the app, just as she saw Nicole approaching. She smiled at her, and was relieved when she got a small smile in return.

“Hi Cole!” Unsure if she was allowed to hug her, she decided it best to disguise her uncertainty by moving to open the front door for her.

Stepping outside, she proceeded, “How is your day going?”

“Not bad. How was the hospital?” They walked tentatively, Nicole with her hands in her pockets, Shae clutching onto her purse.

“Okay. Nobody died, which is always good. I have a really needy patient right now. That’s making it difficult to tend to everyone. But the nurses are helping.”

Walking over to her car, she was surprised when Nicole followed her and opened her door.

“Thanks, Nicole,” She said before sitting down and starting the car, waiting for her to get in the passenger side.

After she got in, Shae looked over at her. “What would you like to eat?" 

“Honestly, I’m not that hungry. Xavier brought donuts this morning to apologize for breaking Eliza's Doc Holliday mug. How about coffee?”

“Sure.” She started the car and set off towards Nicole's favorite shop, in between their apartment and the station.

The silence was slightly uncomfortable, but still manageable. Shae nodded her head along to the newest Maroon 5 song before she looked over and noticed Nicole grimacing. Remembering that she hated the band, she quickly changed the station, putting on something mindless and agreeable. The rest of the drive went by quickly, and as she pulled into a parking spot, she threw the car in park, taking the keys from the ignition, and decided to get out quickly, not wanting to chance waiting to see if Nicole was going to open her door again.

They walked in, side by side, not quite touching, but not quite strangers either. She noticed Nicole stiffen as she looked around the room, but didn’t say anything about it.

“Do you know what you want?” She asked as she turned towards Nicole.

“Mmhmm." 

They shuffled forward and placed their orders, a medium flat white for Nicole and a green tea and bagel for herself. 

“Do you want to pick a table? I’ll bring the drinks over.” Shae watched as she left, noting hesitation before she finally picked a place in the corner. 

Attributing the strange behavior to the still tense mood, she shook it off and pulled out her phone again and noticed another text from Megan.

> _I’m really sorry, Shae._

She quickly typed out an, “ _I know. Stop._ ” before she put her phone away and graciously took her order from the man behind the counter and then walked over to Nicole, who was currently busying herself with her own phone.

Setting the coffee down in front of her, she took the seat across from Nicole and waited for her to put down the device.

When she did look up, Shae seized the moment and began speaking. “My mom called on my way over to the station. Alex got into Stanford.”

“Good for her. She’ll make a great attorney. Your parents have got to be proud, having a doctor and a lawyer in the family.” 

“Totally. My mom asked about you. I told them about Lorraine last week and they’re still concerned.”

“That’s sweet.” Nicole smiled deeply, not quite showcasing her dimples but not hiding them like she had been lately, either. Shae knew that Nicole loved her family, interconnected with her little siblings as if they were her own. Shae’s youngest sister, Taylor, a sophomore in high school, had made it widely known in the family that Nicole was her favorite sibling.

They sat in silence for a moment before a short brunette approached the table.

“Hello Nicole.” She said in greeting.

Shae looked over towards Nicole, who had visibly relaxed at the woman's words.

“Hi Waverly.” There was a smile from Nicole, dimples and glow prevalent, that she took note of, filing for later to decipher what it meant.

The two women paused, smiling at each other before the brunette looked her way, raising an eyebrow as a silent question.

“I’m Shae, Nicole’s…” She paused, panicking. They were technically still engaged, right? She looked down to the ring on her finger she decided to go for it. “Fiancee.” She stuck her hand out and was greeted with the friendliest smile she had ever seen. Warmth radiated off of the woman before her.

“I’m Waverly, it’s lovely to meet you, Shae.”

There was a slight pause before Waverly continued, looking back to Nicole, “I didn’t see you this morning.”

“No, I had coffee at home this morning.”

“Figures. I was better off without you anyway.” They both laughed and she tilted her head in confusion before she decided to interject.

“I’m sorry, but how do you two know each other?” She asked, annoyed.

Nicole quickly stepped in. “She’s a friend from here. I met her last week when I left the house without my wallet.” Nicole gave a pointed look, not attacking, but definitely clearly indicative of what she meant, that made Shae’s stomach drop. “She paid for my coffee that day. We see each other occasionally now. Waverly works at the university like you, she’s a professor though.”

Waverly tilted her head slightly, and threw up that adorable smile that she was slowly becoming less of a fan of.

“Oh, you work at the university? What do you do?” She asked politely.

Shae felt an uncomfortable feeling stir in her stomach. She couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was, but she found that she didn’t like what was happening. “I’m a thoracic surgery resident at the hospital.” She kept her response short, hoping to end this conversation.

“That’s amazing. My sister Willa did her residency up there as well and loved it. She’s an anesthesiologist in Vancouver now, though. I’m up there sometimes as well. I like to volunteer in the children’s ward.”

_Of course she does._

She couldn’t deny Waverly's warmth. She was friendly and seemed easy enough to talk to. When she looked back at Nicole, who had her head tilted and body pointed towards Waverly, Shae took note of the feeling in the pit of her stomach churning.

There was an awkward pause, Shae obviously ignoring the statement from Waverly, before Nicole stepped in, “Caffeine twice in one day, huh? Today’s lecture must’ve been rough.”

They both laughed again and Shae felt her eyes narrowing as she picked up her tea and took a long sip before setting it back down.

“It wasn’t too bad, honestly. I was actually meeting someone. She couldn’t make it, though.” Waverly's face dropped and she watched as Nicole moved her hand towards the side of the table that she was standing by, placing them down gently, as if offering reassurance.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Concern was evident on Nicole’s face.

“Oh, it’s not a big deal. I’m used to it.” She looked off and out towards the window before she looked back at the the couple sitting at the table. “Well, I should get going. You ladies have a good day. It was great to meet you Shae. Maybe I’ll see you around now!”

She nodded in agreement and looked over as Nicole waved at the departing woman.

“Bye, Waverly!” Nicole smiled her dimpled smile again, the one Shae hadn’t seen for months, and that thing stewing inside of her turned once more, a little more deep and bitter and painful this time, and she picked up her tea and forced a smile towards her fiancee as she took a long sip.

______

Shae didn’t know how tonight was going to go, but this definitely wasn’t it.

Nicole and Megan were standing near the bar in the kitchen, laughing at a memory from two years ago while she found herself leaning against the back of the couch, arms and legs both crossed, as she stared at the pair confused. She had quickly packed her things and was waiting to leave, but the two women had struck up a lively conversation and now she didn’t know how to proceed.

“Remember? Ashley fell over right after and then we all stood there awkwardly trying to cover her so James wouldn’t see?”

They laughed again and Shae felt uneasy. They hadn’t talked about the kiss since the day after it had happened, the day Nicole had broken down, showcasing the most emotion Shae had seen from her in months.

It was raw, both women knew it was under the surface waiting to come out. But Shae couldn’t bring herself to do it, not while Nicole was still healing from her aunt’s death, and Nicole hadn’t made a mention of it, so they let it sit there while they proceeded about their life, trying to awkwardly mend their relationship from the outside in. 

“Are you done, babe?”

Shae, lost in her own thoughts, almost didn’t hear the question directed at herself. She certainly hadn’t heard a pet name in months and was even more surprised when she realized that it was Nicole who had indeed said it.

“Oh yeah, everything’s loaded in the car minus this.” She gestured down to a suitcase near her feet.

“Okay, let’s go then.” Nicole stepped next to her and picked up her bag, setting her free hand in between her shoulder blades, guiding them to the door, as Megan followed slowly behind. 

“Well, thanks for watching over this stuff, Megan.” Nicole shook the bag in her hand as she turned around to face Megan, dropping her free hand from Shae’s back as they walked just outside the front door.

“It wasn’t a problem, Nicole.” She said from the other side of the door as she smiled halfheartedly.

Shae turned around as she heard Nicole stop. 

“Oh, and Megan?” Nicole said sharply.

“Yeah?” She looked up to meet Nicole's eyes as Shae watched on, intrigued. 

“Don’t you ever kiss my fiancé again. You’ll regret it if you do,” Shae watched, wide-eyed, as Nicole reached for the door handle, smiling before shutting the door loudly behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to finish Flying High last night but things yesterday ended up being... less than ideal... so this happened instead. That should be finished this weekend I would guess. :)
> 
> Hope you have a good weekend! Thanks for reading and for your lovely comments and kudos. They make my day!
> 
> Oh, and I try and read through this twice before posting, but usually miss things. So, please forgive any mistakes.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole POV: Wayhaught

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, all mistakes are mine as my editing skills are lazy asf.

Things didn’t feel normal. She was trying her best to put it all back together, both internally and externally. Internally, she felt raw and weak, emotionally spent from months of disconnect and lethargy, but the world around her was still going, so she found herself putting on a brave face and attending to the challenges in front of her. Externally, she was back to her job, she didn’t love it, but she was doing it. School was starting soon, that was her saving grace. It was her passion and the thing that gave her structure and made her feel like she was progressing. That used to be Shae, but not now, not yet at least. But she had allowed her back in their bed; there was an invisible border running down the middle of the memory foam, creating a great divide, but it still felt like a step forward in their relationship.

They had finally talked about the kiss without fighting. Nicole had sat down with Shae the same night they had gone to Megan’s to pick up the rest of the woman’s belongings. Lying in bed, Nicole thought back to that night, where things had taken a turn for them, seemingly for the better.

> _“We grew close. I am not going to lie about that, Nicole. We would stay up late chatting. She’s not a great sleeper, and, as you know, I have shitty shifts sometimes, so we’d talk. She helped me process us.” Shae gestured in between their bodies. “We were barely seeing each other, let alone speaking, and when we were, we were fighting. And then with the stress from the hospital… I didn’t know how to handle it all. Obviously I handled it poorly.” Nicole shuddered at the thought of her friend life-coaching Shae, only to later slip a tongue down her throat, as Shae continued, “But nothing ever happened between Megan and myself. I promise you on everything I hold dear. I’m sorry you saw the kiss but I swear to you, I would have told you about it.”_
> 
> _Nicole wasn’t sure she completely believed Shae would have told her, but she did believe that it once a one-time thing. And she knew she wasn’t in a place to pass judgement regardless. She knew she had withdrawn, shutting out the woman who was once her person. She hung her head low as she apologized. “I’m sorry I withdrew.” A tear streamed down her face and she hated that she was crying again, she had done so much of it recently. Shaking her head, she awkwardly wiped at her tears with the back of her hand._
> 
> _“Hey, it’s okay.” Shae grabbed her hands, squeezing them reassuringly. “We can get past this. If that’s still what you want?”_
> 
> _Nicole found it weird Shae was even asking. They were a couple; all of their friends knew them together, as one person. It was seemingly a part of their identities that they belonged with each other. A slight beacon of hope filled her at Shae’s question. She quickly squashed that hope and responded, “Of course it’s what I want.” She felt slightly sick at her statement, but ignored it and pushed on, “You can sleep in the bed tonight if you’re comfortable with that. I’m not ready for anything, though.”_
> 
> _“Of course.” Shae squeezed once her hands once more, looking deeply into her eyes._
> 
> _“Well, I’m going to go get ready for bed.” Nicole smiled awkwardly before standing up, brushing at her jeans with her now free hands, effectively ending the conversation._

And that was the extent of their conversation. As she looked over to Shae sleeping next to her, she knew she loved her. They had grown together, like a rusty bicycle abandoned and knotted into a growing oak. They had weathered storms together, great and small, and had come out the other side a little worn, but still together. But if she was being really, really honest with herself, that spark, that tingly feeling she used get in her stomach when she looked at Shae, the same one that used to blur the world around her, honing her senses only to the tall, brilliant, sexy doctor she couldn't get enough of; well, that was gone. And that was terrifying.

The thing that scared her the most about everything going on in her life, well, that was the fact that Waverly Earp was now a part of it. The sharp, witty, brazen, tiny woman, had entered like a knight in shining armor, with her quick handed gifts, both monetary and emotional, that reminded Nicole there was a light to look forward to. And that was more terrifying than anything else.

  
______

“So, you said yesterday, school starts soon. What’s that about?” Waverly asked, sipping at her chai from her straw.

They had just finished laughing over a story from Waverly’s childhood. Her sister seemed like quite the firecracker, if the stories she had been hearing were any indication. They had grown close since their first meeting, usually sitting together and chatting for ten to fifteen minutes before they both started their day. Nicole had heard a lot about Waverly in these discussions. She found that Waverly, although quiet and meek when she first met her, was actually a great story teller and definitely a hand talker; everything she had to say was exacerbated by dramatic gestures that Nicole found completely endearing.

Shae had come along with her a few times, but Nicole had found her demeanor to be stilted and off, and had stopped inviting her after a while. This move had not gone over well when the couple found themselves recapping their days to each other as they sat at the bar, eating whatever takeout the last person home had picked up. Shae would say agreeable things like ‘I see’ and ‘that’s good for you’ upon any mention of Waverly, but would become silent afterward. But they didn’t push each other to talk more than what was necessary. They were at least sharing a bed together, and had even had pancakes last Saturday morning in bed, albeit without the sex, laughing as they talked about mindless things.

Nicole chuckled at Waverly’s question. “What do you mean, ‘What’s that about?’ It’s school. You’re a professor, I sure hope you know what it’s about.”

“Stop it, you jerk.” Nicole felt a light kick hit her shin from under the table. “You know what I mean. Obviously you are pursuing something. What’s your endgame?”

“Well, I grew up in a police family. My dad was a cop, all of my uncles were cops, my grandpa was a cop, it just seemed like something you did in my family. Either that, or stay at home and tend to the kids. Which, don’t get me wrong, is great, but so not my thing. So I went into law enforcement after getting my undergrad in criminal justice. I realized I didn’t like it about two years in, so I talked to the sheriff and took a step back so I could go back to school. I’m studying forensic psychology. Endgame for me is a criminal profiler. My boss knows a guy who works at the FBI, but my Aunt’s death derailed school and connection, at least for a little while.” This was the first time Nicole had mentioned her aunt to Waverly, surprised at herself for opening up with such an intimate detail of her life.

“Your Aunt died?” Concern interlaced her eyes with the question she was asking.

“Yeah... fairly recently actually. She was my only family. But I’m picking up the pieces.” Nicole debated explaining, as she had just talked about the rest of her family, but she didn’t know Waverly well enough to spill every secret from her past, so she just smiled, hoping that would suffice.

“Was—Was that why you were you crying the day I met you?” She could sense the hesitation behind her statement, watching as Waverly played absentmindedly with the straw in her chai.

She thought for a moment as she herself played with the plastic lid of her disposable coffee cup before asking quietly, “You saw that?”

That was not a good day for her. She had tried her best to cover up any emotion, but everything had hit a crescendo in the 24 hours she had met Waverly Earp and of course the ever observant woman in front of her had noticed. Nicole didn’t want pity, though. That was definitely not what she was looking for, certainly not from the magical woman who was currently wiping at a sip of chai that had dribbled down her chin.

 _How did she even spill? She has a straw._ Nicole thought to herself.

“Yeah.” Waverly said as she finished cleaning herself off.

“That—that was nothing. Contacts were bothering me that day.” She pushed her chin up, hoping her face conveyed more strength than she actually felt.

“Aw, that makes sense.” Nicole could tell Waverly knew she was lying, but she appreciated the gesture. “Well, I should head in, I have a meeting. See you tomorrow?”

“I can’t, actually. I have a thing.” Six weeks of staggered communication and physical distance had resulted in an appointment with a couple’s counselor.

“Oh, alright then. Well, until next time, Nicole.” Waverly stood up and tipped her cup in cheers to Nicole, before backing away from the table.

Nicole paused for a moment, trying to decide if she had watched Waverly's face fall or if she was reading too far into the reaction.

“Always a pleasure, Waverly. Take care.” She smiled as she watched her walk away before standing up herself, tossing her cup in the trash to her right, and heading to her car.

______

“She’s just full of bullshit, Nicole.” Shae said with a huff.

They were walking back to their cars after their session, both reeling from the revelations the last hour had laid out.

“She doesn’t know what he’s talking about, she doesn’t know us.”

Nicole found the ground oddly fascinating as she listened to her rant about the therapist that had inadvertently raised a question about their love.

“Nicole? Are you listening to me?”

“Sorry. Just processing I think.” Nicole snapped back to reality, and watched as Shae reached into her purse.

“I—That—well that’s understandable.” She said, distracted, as she pulled her phone out of her bag and looked down at it for the first time since the appointment. “Hey, listen. I have to get back to the hospital. I doubt I will make it home tonight, apparently I have a surgery I am subbing in for that I just found out about.” She waved her phone in the air as she indicated the message she was looking at. “I’m sure I’m going to have to hang around to keep an eye on the patient.”

“Oh—okay. Do you want me to bring dinner by the hospital after I get done at the station?” She felt a rush of dread consume her thinking that Shae would take her up on the offer, but the statement came out before she could evaluate it, and at least it felt like the right thing to do, even if forced.

“No.” Shae was distractedly typing out a text as she spoke. “I can stop by the cafeteria. Thanks, though.”

Shae leaned forward and absentmindedly placed a chaste kiss on Nicole’s lips, the first time they had done so in months, right before she turned around and got in her car. Nicole watched her through the windshield, perplexed, as Shae eventually sat her phone down on the seat next to her. Nicole noted the moment realization dawned on Shae's face as she looked up in horror, before she masked the expression, opting to awkwardly wave as she hurriedly turned the car on and backed out of the stall.

______

“Are you stalking me?” Nicole rocked forth on the balls of her feet as she spoke into Waverly’s ear, who had just finished placing her order.

“Well,” She began as she looked around the mostly abandoned Chinese restaurant. “It seems that since I was here first, you are the one doing the stalking.”

Nicole wondered to herself how Waverly seemed so unsurprised at her presence, almost as if this was a familiar routine for them. For Nicole, however, the second she had stepped into her favorite restaurant and had caught sight of her, she noted that her own stomach had flipped several times as she debated how she was going to approach her.

“I resent that. I am a much sneakier stalker than that. You’d never even know if I was stalking you.” Adding a wink, Nicole reveled in the laughter from Waverly.

“Maybe don’t say that to anyone ever again.” Waverly said as she composed herself, moving aside so Nicole could place her order with the employee waiting patiently behind the old red Formica countertop.

After ordering her usual, she walked over to the vinyl covered table Waverly, currently playing on her phone, was sitting at and pulled out the old metal chair, joining her without invitation.

The second she was seated, Nicole heard the lock screen as she watched Waverly set her phone face down, giving Nicole her full attention.

“This place better be as good as you say. My reputation is on the line here.” Her face was serious, but her tone was playful.

“It is. Trust me. If not, I’ll pay for your meal.” Nicole reached for her wallet as a symbolic gesture, waving it in the air before setting it down on the table.

“This order is for six people. So that’s an expensive offer. And besides, I still haven’t let you pay for my coffee, how do you propose I’ll accept payment for a whole meal?”

She patted at the air with both hands, as if calming a crowd. “Hey, hey, hey. Let me work out the details. Maybe I’ll make a PowerPoint to convince you.”

“I’m a professor. I’ve seen thousands of presentations, I doubt you can impress me with one.” She cocked her head to the side.

“Wow. Quite judgmental, aren’t we? I’ll have you know, I won an award for my PowerPoint skills once.” Nicole smiled her dimpled grin, the one she used to use when she was single and trying to win girls over.

“Oh did you?” Waverly quirked an eyebrow, almost impressed.

“Honest answer? No. But it sounded good, huh?” 

“I mean, it sounded kind of lame, but I was more inclined to hear your offer.”

They laughed for a moment before the atmosphere took a more serious tone.

“How was your thing today?” Waverly questioned innocently.

Nicole thought hard about her appointment. It didn’t surprise her to hear Dr. Bingham uncover some of the flaws in her relationship, but it definitely didn’t feel like she had any sort of actionable result from the time spent in her office either. She didn’t know what to make of anything right now, so she went with a vague answer.

“It was fine. I have to do it again next week, so don’t count on seeing me next Tuesday morning either.”

“Next week is midterms, so my schedule is going to be off. You know, students panicking, fitting in last minute appointments as they’re cramming in their studying.” Waverly said right before politely thanking the restaurant employee, who had just set down two tied-up grocery bags full of takeout containers.

“That smells delicious, you’re going to have to let me know what you think.” Nicole pointed at the bags that had just been delivered.

“Definitely.” She smiled, then tapped the table with both hands before adding, “Well I should get going. Wynonna is a beast if her dinner is late—” She looked down at her watch then back up to Nicole. “—And I am definitely late. Have a good night, Nicole. Say hello to Shae for me.”

 _Shae_. Nicole hadn’t thought of her during this entire interaction, except for the vague reference to therapy. Nicole shook her head slightly, bringing herself back to reality, and smiled at Waverly sitting across from her.

“Have a good night, Waverly. I’ll see you in the morning?” Her tone was hopeful, too hopeful for a woman engaged to another.

“Definitely, take care.” She said as she grabbed her bags and departed.

Nicole reached for her phone, opting to kill time by checking the device. She opened up her messages and read through a message Shae had clearly quickly typed out.

> _Super swamped. But wanted to say sorry if the kiss was weird for you – do t know why I did it. I didn’t mine it tho. Hopefully you felt the samr. Ill see you in the morning._

Nicole pondered for a moment, stopping only to thank the woman who deposited her takeout in front of her. She absently fiddled with her phone as thoughts raced through her mind. The kiss this morning had felt fine, Shae had great lips, they were one of Nicole’s favorite features so she never minded kissing her. And it felt innocent enough, almost—platonic. As her thinking continued, she stood up, shoving her phone in her jeans, grabbing for the food as she found the word that kept coming to her mind - _platonic_. Platonic. Platonic. Platonic.

Suddenly, Nicole felt sick again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick note: I know it may seem like it's heading that way, but no one is cheating with anyone else. The kiss, which I don't completely fault Shae for, is the only reference to cheating this story is going to have.
> 
> And thanks for reading. Angst isn't terrible to write when you get used to it. Hopefully it's not bad to read either.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly POV

Sitting in the back of the coffee shop, Waverly’s ears perked up when the door chimed yet again. Head turning towards the noise, her face fell when she was greeted with a grumpy looking robust man in a plaid golf cap. She eyed him suspiciously for a moment, noting he seemed eerily similar to Vernon Dursley. As she huffed in displeasure, she inadvertently glared at the man when he looked over before she picked her phone back up and continued reading the NPR article she had been placating herself with.

Coffee with Nicole had become an informal tradition for the last month and a half. They had traded stories, jokes, food and book recommendations, travel tips; pretty much anything they could fit into a 15-minute conversation had been discussed. Although she couldn’t quite put a finger on it, mornings with Nicole had truly been the highlight of her day. She had originally been quite put off by Nicole's forwardness. She had constantly whined about not letting her buy Waverly a coffee, but when Nicole had eventually stopped offering, she had become quite an engaging individual, someone Waverly found she honestly couldn’t get enough of.

When either of them couldn’t make it in the mornings, they’d be sure to tell the other person the day before. They both knew what busy schedules the other person had and didn’t want to inconvenience them by making them wait around unnecessarily. But the last time Waverly had seen her was the day she had run into her at Chin Wah’s. Nicole had talked about that damn Chinese restaurant for days, gushing every morning about the new dish she had tried the night before. Eventually Waverly had to ask what it would take to get her to stop talking about the place, and after a round of negotiations, she had come away with a promise to give it a try in exchange for the Nicole’s silence about the place. When she heard Nicole’s soothing voice whisper in her ear while she was placing her order there, she playfully rolled her eyes but found herself quite elated to see the vibrant woman. She had promised that evening to report back to Nicole about her thoughts on the meal and she had not once spared a comment about being absent for their daily coffee meetup.

Six days had passed since then and Waverly found herself worried. She knew something must be wrong, because Nicole wasn’t a woman who would just disappear without notice. She cursed herself daily for not already having her number. She’d thought about asking for it in passing several times, but had stopped herself when Shae appeared. Waverly had even looked Nicole up on Facebook, smiling at the carefree picture of the woman rock climbing, and debated adding her, but wasn’t sure if the gesture would go over well with the seemingly possessive fiancee. She knew from a year spent dating a chump in her hometown how hard a jealous significant other could be and she didn’t want to offend the pretty doctor, even if her intentions were pure.

This worry she felt over Nicole’s disappearance was compounded by the fact she had unofficially adopted her as someone she tended to. Nicole was an adult, of course. A former police officer, current graduate student, and sarcastic asshole, but she still had a vulnerability about her that Waverly could sense. She couldn’t exactly explain why she felt the need to care for her, but there was this feeling, low in the pit of her stomach whenever she was near her that told her she couldn’t abandon her new friend.

The constant worry Waverly felt for her newest friend was getting to her. Now sitting here like a pining fool, Waverly found herself angry that she hadn’t seen Nicole in almost a week. She was angry at herself for not having asked for her phone number number and for caring so much that Nicole was missing in the first place. She was angry at her mother for forcing her to become accustomed to people in her life just disappearing. Waverly was just angry.

She almost missed the chime of the door this time as she was cycling through her thoughts, letting the anger overtake her. If it wasn’t for the clump of red hair that came into focus in her peripheral vision, she wouldn’t have even looked up. But she did.

Nicole looked like she had seen her the first day, sad and broken. She was in a pair of old sweats, a wrinkled t-shirt and her hair was once again shoved under another ball cap. The sight of Nicole's disheveled state broke Waverly’s heart, but the anger she felt was still fresh, and Waverly knew that being an Earp meant it was in her genes to express emotion improperly.

Standing up and quickly gathering her things as she barreled forward, Waverly yelled heatedly across the nearly empty restaurant as Nicole was just about to order.

“NICOLE!”

Nicole and the barista looked at each other in fear before both looked to the small woman.

“Listen here, you—you big—you big _dummy_!” She felt the fury spew forth as she poked at Nicole’s chest, the heat of her words rising with every poke. “You think you can just show up into my life and say engaging things and constantly bother me with your politeness and then just disappear for a week?! I thought you were dead.” She annunciated each word in her last statement. She then shoved her hand forward and made a grabbing motion. “Give me your phone.”

“W—wh—what?” Nicole asked, confused as she turned completely towards her body.

“You heard me, hand me your phone.” She pushed her hand forward expectantly once more.

She reached into her sweatpants, fumbling for a moment as her keys jingled and then grabbed for the device and unlocked it before nervously placing it in Waverly’s awaiting palm.

She typed in her phone number and hit call, waiting until she heard her phone ring in her purse before she handed the phone back to Nicole. “Thank you. I expect a text as to why you’ve been avoid—”

“I haven’t been avoiding you!” She heard Nicole spill out.

“—Why you’ve been avoiding me. Or where specifically you’ve been. Are we clear?”

Nicole simply nodded as she put her phone back in her pocket. 

“Okay. Good. I have class so I have to go, but thank you.” She backed away slowly towards the door, not breaking eye contact as she kept her brow furrowed in anger.

Nicole just stood there, stunned and silent as she watched her depart. 

When she felt her backside bump the glass door, Waverly allowed her expression to soften as she smiled and tossed out her signature wave. “Have a good day, Nicole.”

“You too, Waverly.” She timidly replied before Waverly walked out the door.

______ 

 

> _586 610-4624; 10:21 am: Um… hi?_
> 
> _586 610-4624; 10:21 am: It’s Nicole_

Checking her phone as her class was shuffling out of the lecture hall, Waverly smiled. 

 

> _Waverly; 10:59 am: About time_
> 
> _586 610-4624; 11:01 am: Sorry, there’s been a lot going on._
> 
> _Waverly; 11:02 am: ?_

She added Nicole into her contacts as she walked back to her office, finding herself seated in her chair and pulling out homework from her satchel before her phone vibrated again, indicating Nicole's reply. 

 

> _Nicole; 11:10 am: I haven’t been around because I’ve been apartment hunting before work. Apparently my price range is not affordable. Something about PT work at a police station and almost $100k in student debt does not make an attractive tenant._  

Waverly felt her stomach bottom out. She typed and deleted several messages before replying.

 

> _Waverly; 11:15 am: Dinner tonight? I have a night class but I can cut the lecture short and be to Chin Wah’s at 8._

She thought momentarily about the redhead’s situation before she shot off another reply.

 

> _Waverly; 11:16 am: My treat._
> 
> _Nicole; 11:17 am: Yeah, you don’t have to pay for me, but that’d be nice_
> 
> _Waverly; 11:18 am: I’m glad you’re not dead. Sorry I yelled at you._
> 
> _Nicole; 11:20 am: It’s okay. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you._
> 
> _Nicole; 11:20 am: Gotta go. Boss is staring me down._
> 
> _Waverly; 11:21 am: Dang, sorry!_
> 
> _Nicole; 11:22 am: Don’t apologize. See you at 8?_
> 
> _Waverly; 11:22 am: Deal_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking with this one!
> 
> Next time: Shae POV


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shae POV

This was Nicole’s place. She loved being here, coming whenever time allowed. Alternating between sipping, reading and watching; that pattern on repeat for the duration of her stay. On days Shae had to be at the clinic, Nicole would tell her she was coming here, explaining she’d “rather be at the coffee shop than be at home alone.”   
  
“Home’s not the same when you aren’t here.” Nicole would add with a kiss to her cheek before taking off in a rush, grabbing her school bag, work bag, or book she was reading.  
  
When she had time to join, Shae would also sip and read and watch, but it lacked the same appeal to her that Nicole found. Nicole was content here while she found only boredom. After a while she’d grow restless and insist they leave. Nicole, ever the giver, would agree, packing up her things and following like the loyal person she was.  
  
Being in this coffee shop alone now, it feels spoiled and hollow, like a wound that will not heal. A wound that’s been gaping for the last week. The last several months, really. 

But, something about this coffee shop has a small sliver of hope attached to it, a part of this place is completely intertwined with Nicole. That part of Nicole that belonged to Shae.   
  
As she sat and sipped her latte in silence, the conversation that broke it all kept replaying in her mind, an unexpected blow to her already fragile soul.   
  
They’d sat down together seven nights ago to talk.  _ Talk _ talk. She’d just gotten home from the hospital when Nicole had approached her, wanting to do it that morning, but she had been exhausted from her night spent at the hospital. It had been a great night, the attending had let her take the lead on the surgery and her patient was steadily improving. She’d walked in the door with a tired smile on her face and had promised they could do it as soon as Nicole got home from her shift at the station.    
  
After she woke up, she began nervously cleaning their apartment, hoping Nicole would appreciate the gesture. Cleaning had never been her forte or preference, and Nicole had happily picked up the job, just like she had happily picked up every job Shae had discarded or been unwilling to complete. She hoped that by cleaning it would show she was ready to be different, ready for them to be together, and to move on. She was sure life would be simpler now and she had hoped they could address the kiss that she had accidentally and absently placed on Nicole’s lips; an unintended gift that she was hoping could be a bridge that would finally repair their still fractured relationship. But, when Nicole sat down on the other end of the sofa, feet up, knees to her chest with her arms wrapped around them, she could tell this conversation was not going to go as she hoped.   
  
She watched as Nicole stared intently down at her knees. When she finally spoke up, it was soft and empty. “I don’t think I want this.”   
  
The space between them on the couch grew exponentially as Shae felt her stomach turn. 

“This?” She needed clarification but she was almost positive she knew.

“Us.” Nicole’s voice was small.  
  
“You _think_? How can you just _think_ something like that, Nicole?” She was confused, that statement was drastic for a person _thinking_ through something.  
  
She watched as Nicole looked away, seemingly lost in her own thoughts. When she looked back there was a pair of glossy eyes, shimmering with tears that spoke with a resolve that seemed absolute.  
  
“I just haven’t figured out how to tell my best friend that I can’t marry her anymore.”   
  
Shae felt her world break apart at that statement.    
  
She barked out a laugh, one she didn’t mean or feel at all. Nothing was funny, but that laugh broke through the pain of the world around her shattering. 

“So you don’t love me?”   
  
She watched a tear rolled down Nicole’s cheek as she clutched her knees tighter, lengthening the distance between them as she continued to withdraw. 

“No. I didn’t say that. I’ve never stopped loving you.”   
  
“Then why don’t you want to marry me? Is this about Megan? How many times do I have to tell you nothing happened.” Desperation filled her voice. She was never one for begging, but Nicole was worth a fight.   
  
“I believe you. But that doesn’t change the fact that I’m not  _ in _ love with you.” 

Nicole didn’t move, didn’t try to reassure. She wasn’t her kind, jovial self. She was a detached figure that Shae could no longer decipher.   
  
“Are you serious?” She felt her eyes welling with tears as her voice cracked around the question. She sat there for a moment before everything spilled over, her body wracked with sobs.   
  
Her Nicole was back for a second, reaching forward and enveloping her tightly in a hug as she cried. She felt her strong arms rub soothing circles on her back, and she allowed the comfort to piece together some semblance of cohesion.    
  
When she eventually settled, Nicole went back to her stoicism, uncoupling her body from Shae’s, literally and figuratively.   
  
“So we’re done?” Shae fiddled with the ring on her finger, staring at the diamond for a second before she looked back up. “Just like that?”   
  
Nicole winced as her eyes looked up from the ring to meet Shae’s.    
  
“I’m sorry.”    
  
Shae took comfort in the fact that she truly did sound sorry, but it didn’t make anything feel better.   
  
“Yeah, right.” She felt her own walls go up, and anger appeared. “I think you should leave.”   
  
Shae knew that statement wasn’t fair, but she had left the last time and she was not the one making the decisions this time. She watched as Nicole grimaced and reached for her hand.   
  
“Don’t touch me.” She moved her hands around her body, protecting herself. “You should go. You’ve made your decision. I’m allowed to make mine.” She knew the fury in her tone was out of character. She was a level-headed woman, just like Nicole, but she didn’t feel very even-tempered right now.   
  
“Shae.” There was a desperation in Nicole’s voice, but not to fix what she had just broken, she was simply pleading for an understanding Shae knew she couldn’t give right now.   
  
“Get the hell out.” Shae snarled with finality.   
  
Nicole stood and moved slowly towards the door. She heard keys jingling and a few things being gathered before the door opened.    
  
“Shae?”    
  
She could hear in Nicole’s question that she was obviously crying, but she didn’t look up from her place on the couch. She couldn’t look up as she was forcing her own tears down, trying to remain whole.   
  
A soft, “I’m sorry,” was spoken before the door closed and her life changed.   
  
It had been six days since then. She hadn’t texted her for the first three, but when Nicole didn’t make a move to collect her things, she began to worry.    
  
So she texted.   
  
No response.   
  
She called.   
  
No response.   
  
She even left a voicemail.   
  
No response.   
  
And now she was here on her day off in Nicole’s place, trying her best to remain strong as she waited for a woman with whom she had no desire to talk to. She didn’t even know if this would work, but she had to do something.   
  
There was a chime at the door and she looked up, watching as her target walked in the door. She picked up her latte and grabbed her purse as she walked purposely forward, stopping in front of Waverly before she could reach the counter and place her order.   
  
“Shae? Are you okay?” She asked, genuine worry in her voice.   
  
Shae internally rolled her eyes. Waverly was smart, as she had obviously pieced together that Shae looked like shit.   
  
She spoke up then, the strength in her voice surprising herself.    
  
“I don’t know if you have already, but when you see Nicole, will you make sure she’s okay? And will you tell her to please gather her things?”   
  
Waverly’s expression flickered for a moment, unreadable. When she eventually responded, it was a simple nod.   
  
Shae debated saying more. She stood there, looking down into Waverly’s soft eyes. She was gorgeous and captivating and she obviously took care of her small body. She could see why Nicole spoke so highly of her. Waverly’s face was now filled with concern as she looked back up at Shae.   
  
She opened her mouth to speak, raising her free hand in the process before she thought better of it and let it fall down limply at her side. Now was not the time and Waverly was not the person that needed any sort of lecture from herself.   
  
“Th—Thanks, Waverly.” 

She tripped over the words before she quickly walked out of the building, stopping at her car door to breathe before she allowed herself to look back to the coffee shop. Waverly was turned away from her, but not facing the counter either. She had a phone to her ear and she was pacing, obviously upset.    
  
Shae shook her head and searched her purse for her keys, unlocking the car before she got got in and turned the ignition. Before she pulled out of her parking spot, she chanced a glance back in the shop and was met with Waverly’s piercing gaze. She still had her phone to her ear but she wasn’t talking. Waverly looked concerned and oddly smaller than normal, and seemed as if she wanted to follow after her, but Shae quickly put her car in reverse and drove off, away from Waverly and away from Nicole’s place.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly POV

Rushing into the restaurant, she used the hand not clutching her phone to push some windblown hair away from her face. She quickly surveyed the mostly empty shop, finding Nicole with her legs crossed and stretched out under the table, wearing a hoodie and pair of tight jeans, scrolling mindlessly on her phone.

“Sorry I’m late. Did you get my messages?” She didn’t wait for a reply before she added, “I had a student asking me a million questions after class and I couldn’t brush him off.”

Nicole locked her phone, setting it face down on the vinyl tablecloth before she interlaced her fingers together and smirked. “Are you allowed to brush off students? Isn’t that your job?”

She stared incredulous for a moment, trying to understand how someone could be so smug but yet so appealing at the same time. She hated that Nicole had been so engaging. A cocky attitude had been a turn off in every other person she had known. Years spent entangled with the boastful rodeo Champ from her small town had been enough. And even her older sister Wynonna, whom she loved dearly, had a self-confident personality that usually became overbearing whenever she was in town for an extended visit.

But there was something about Nicole and her overconfident attitude that was appealing in a way she was still trying to figure out. She softened at the right times, exposing a vulnerable interior that Waverly was sure was closer to her true nature than she usually let on. She knew it was there the first day she had seen Nicole in that coffee shop, broken and fragile, the same look she had seen this morning when she walked in.

Narrowing her eyes, she pulled the chair across from Nicole out and pointedly responded as she sat, “Okay, jerk. If you must know, I am _happy_ to answer homework related questions but I am not looking to date my students. So, when Jared says things like ‘have you seen the new Marvel movie? I have an extra ticket.’ and ‘Did you know I’m mature for my age?’ and ‘You can’t be older than 30, how old are you really?’ I know he’s not looking for help on his coursework.”

Eyes shining, Nicole chuckled. “Not that I can blame him for trying but why don’t you just tell him to get lost?”

“Because I’m nice.” She said dismissively, as if the answer was completely obvious, but made a mental note of the compliment.

At times she wondered if Nicole was flirting, tossing out casual compliments and glances that were questionable for someone who was just being friendly, but Waverly eventually dismissed it as just who Nicole seemed to be as a person.

“Nice?” Nicole leaned back in her chair and laced her fingers together behind her head. “I find you a little frightening, if I’m being honest.”

Waverly waved a hand. “Must just be you, then. I won a sash in my hometown once for it. Nicest person in Purgatory, I’ll have you know.”

She watched, eyes narrowed, as Nicole stared. She thought she saw her lick her bottom lip before lightly biting down.

“Okay, Miss Purgatory 2011, Chin Wah’s is closing in 15 and I don’t know about you, but I’m morally opposed to making employees stay after their shifts and my place isn’t really an option to grab takeout to go to right now, sooooo….” She trailed off and looked expectantly across the table.

She was relieved Nicole seemed to be in better spirits than when she had last seen her. She had worried about her all day, losing focus several times during a faculty meeting in the afternoon, feeling Professor Bustillo’s leg kick her several times when she had been asked a direct question she had missed.

She mentally evaluated the state of her condo, debating whether it was presentable enough to have someone over. She hadn’t been home much lately and knew there were dishes piled in the sink, but she was positive her dirty laundry had been collecting from the living room a few nights ago when she had been looking for her lucky pair of underwear, hoping she could wash them in time to work their magic on her girl’s night at the bar with Chrissy. She decided she could handle Nicole seeing her slightly disheveled home if it meant she could get to the bottom of why she hadn’t seen her in the last week.

“My place is 15 minutes from here. We can order some Lo Mein and Kung Pao Chicken and head over?”

Nicole’s dimples popped as she responded.

“I already placed the order.”

She pointed reproachfully towards Nicole as she spoke.

“You’re presumptuous. It almost makes me want to cancel on you.” Narrowing her eyes, she finished, “ _Almost._ ”

Nicole cocked her head to the side. Waverly noted she had a slight pout that looked slightly like a scolded puppy.

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, I paid?”

Waverly slapped her hand down on the table loudly. Trying her best to be threatening, she said, “Dang it, Nicole. I told you this was my treat.”

Nicole shrugged her shoulders before leaning forward and smiling brightly. “Well it’s too late now, and I already invited myself over, so deal with it.”

“You’re annoying.” Waverly shook her head as she picked up her phone and glanced at the time.

“But the fun kind, I hope?”

Waverly set her phone back down and noted that Nicole had let down a little bit of her guard; that soft Nicole she knew was in there making an appearance, seeking reassurance.

“I mean, I don’t just invite _anyone_ back to my home.” She said playfully, but there was more truth to her statement than she had meant. She hadn’t invited anyone to her home in the last six months. Willa called it her ‘great dry spell of 2017 that never should have carried into 2018’ but she argued it was just called, ‘being busy.’

“What about Jared?” Nicole asked, playfully, snapping Waverly out of her thoughts.

She chuckled. “Oh no, we prefer to keep that strictly at his place. Something about the frat house really does it for me.”

Nicole opened her mouth to respond when the owner of the restaurant walked forward, placing the takeout bag in front of them. She watched as Nicole and the restaurant owner chatted politely before the woman departed and Nicole looked at her again.

“You ready to go?” Waverly asked as she stood and threw her purse over her shoulder, grabbing the bag as she moved to stand up.

Nicole nodded her head. Smiling brightly, she grabbed her phone and stood.

“I thought you’d never ask. Lead the way, Professor Earp.”

___

“So why the apartment hunting?” She asked inquisitively while she sat swirling a glass of wine on her couch.

They hadn’t broached the topic all throughout dinner and eventually her curiosity about the topic got the best of her.

She watched Nicole play with the pop tab on the can of beer in her hand as she stumbled over her words, looking anywhere but in Waverly’s eyes. “Um… So… It’s just that— I.”

“Hey.” Waverly set her wine glass on the coffee table and placed her hand on top of Nicole’s. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I was just _really_ worried about you.” She lifted her hand, bringing it back to her lap. “And, if I’m being honest, I was slightly disappointed when I hadn’t seen you in a week.”

Nicole looked over, almost surprised.

“Why would you be worried? You barely know me.” She asked, quietly.

“I don’t know. Like I said, you’re engaging and polite and when you’re not being all annoying and cocky, you’re kind of nice to have around.”

Waverly looked down at the small takeout containers strewn across the coffee table and laughed to herself. “Not a coffee, but I guess you finally got to buy me something. Thanks, Nicole.”

“It’s my pleasure.” Waverly could swear she saw Nicole’s eyes dip down to her lips again. Suddenly, Nicole slapped her hands on her thighs and stood up. Turning around and looking towards the doorway she asked, “Where’s your kitchen?”

Waverly shook her head as she stared at Nicole’s backside, trying to catch up.

“What?”

Nicole turned back around, forcing Waverly’s gaze back to her eyes. “Your kitchen? I assume you have one of those. Normally where your fridge is? I keep snacks in mine.”

“Why?” She was at a loss. The takeout in front of her had been demolished, leaving a few dirty spoons and cartons waiting to be thrown away.

“Gotta clean up, obviously.” She gestured down to the empty takeout as she lifted her eyebrows curiously.

“Don’t worry about it. I can do it. It’s all just going into the trash.”

“What about these spoons?” Nicole bent down and picked up the three dirty pieces of silverware, holding them up as she tilted her head to the side and looked expectantly.

Waverly shook her head. “I think I can handle those.”

“Stop being so stubborn and let me clean up, Waverly.” She threw her hands on her hips, determination present on her face.

She slowly untangled her leg from under her body and stood up. Collecting a few empty containers, she pointed down the hall.

“It’s that way.”

___

This was not how she had expected the night to go at all, currently in her kitchen, Nicole  pressed against a cabinet with Waverly in between her legs.

Nicole had spent the last 30 minutes washing her dirty dishes by hand, both the spoons they had used and the large pile that Waverly had been putting off cleaning. Waverly had spent that time sitting on her counter, taking every dish Nicole had just cleaned and drying it meticulously as they talked about anything, everything, and nothing.

She had just hopped down to pick up the towel she had dropped on the ground when she felt the back collar of her shirt pull back and something frozen hit her skin. Screaming, she pranced around the kitchen as she reprimanded Nicole. After dislodging the ice cube she finished picking up the towel and swatted at Nicole as she was hunched over in laughter. Pushing off of her thighs, Nicole stood up and walked towards Waverly with her arms open, gesturing for an apology hug. Waverly backed away with a master plan. Shaking her head, she ducked out of Nicole’s grasp and went for the icemaker. Pushing the lever, she grabbed a few ice cubes and sprinted towards Nicole. Pushing her against the cabinet, she pulled the collar of her sweatshirt and dropped a few ice cubes down the front it before she could fight back.

It hadn’t been until she stopped laughing that she realized how close they were actually standing, Nicole with her legs spread apart against a cabinet, finishing shaking out the last of the ice as Waverly stood directly in front of her. There was a moment of silence, Waverly was positive Nicole had looked at her lips this time, and she debated backing away before Nicole had surged forward. Waverly stood on the tips of her toes as she tangled a hand in Nicole’s hair and sought to deepen the kiss.

They had spent the last few minutes like this, touching and grabbing as they explored. When Waverly’s hands had found Nicole’s stomach, she couldn’t control the moan that escaped from her lips.

“Fuck. How are you so toned? You work in a basement.” She said as she raked her hands down Nicole’s abdomen.

Nicole chuckled as she bit down on Waverly’s neck before she responded. “I was a cop for years, remember? Plus, I’m pretty active, thank you very much.”

That cockiness. It was definitely appreciated when they were pressed together like this.

Nicole hooked an arm around her back, resting it on the clasp of Waverly’s bra. Somewhere in the exciting chaos she had yanked it off. She watched as Nicole looked deeply into her eyes, asking a silent question. Waverly nodded slightly and felt it drop to the ground.

Nicole stood in a trance for a moment, staring until Waverly snapped her fingers.

“I think we’re in the middle of something.”

Nicole smiled before she surged forward again, lifting Waverly off the ground. She wrapped her legs around Nicole’s body and began kissing down her neck as she held on tightly. She was midway through a heated kiss when panic hit her suddenly, remembering the fiancée Nicole had sitting at home; the one who was tall, pretty, and completely possessive. She bit down on Nicole’s lip accidentally as she ripped away, causing Nicole to hiss in pain.

Nicole looked up at the loss of contact, confused.

“What?”

Waverly looked down in between their bodies. Her chest was pressed against Nicole’s and her center pressed perfectly against her hips. She pushed down the regret she felt about the question she knew she needed to ask.

Tapping her fingers against the back of Nicole’s neck, she reluctantly forced out her question.

“Your—Shae? What about Shae?”

There was a hint of sadness in Nicole’s eyes before she shook her head and it was gone.

“She’s—it’s done.”

Waverly felt her heart break. That’s why Nicole looked so broken this morning. She leaned forward and wrapped her in the warmest hug she could offer.

“I’m so sorry.” She whispered against Nicole’s neck as she rubbed her back.

She felt Nicole’s cheek nuzzle against hers, moving her head so Nicole could look at her again.

A tear rolled down her cheek and Waverly was about to suggest they stop when Nicole’s eyes darkened again. Leaning forward, she pressed her lips against Waverly’s. Feeling Nicole’s body relax into the kiss, she moaned as Nicole began slowly guiding them a few steps forward before she stopped and pulled back.

“Uh…” She panted, slightly out of breath.

Flustered that they were no longer moving, Waverly looked expectantly in her eyes.

“I kind of don’t know where I’m going.” Nicole finished, slightly confused but smiling nonetheless.

“Fudge nuggets.” She sighed and loosened her grip, trying to wiggle free. “Put me down, please?”

Nicole gently placed her back on the ground and stepped back slightly. Waverly walked forward a few steps and looked back over her bare shoulder at Nicole.

“Well are you coming or what?” She said with a smirk.

Nicole’s face lit up as she raked a hand through her hair and laughed. “That’s what she said.”

“Ugh. Okay, Michael Scott. Come on.” She grabbed Nicole’s hand, pulling until she began to follow her towards the stairs.

___

“Hey, Nicole. Sorry, I don’t know if I was supposed to wait for your call but I really need you to call me back. Please?”

She hung up and continued pacing back and forth as she watched Shae exit the coffee shop. It had been less than twelve hours since she had sat down to dinner with Nicole, less than six hours when Nicole had looked at her adoringly as Waverly crawled back up her naked body, and less than two hours since she had woken up to an empty bed with a note that said, “I promise I’ll call. –Nicole <3”

“Can I get you anything, ma'am?” The barista asked, annoyance in her tone.

She shook her head quickly before she picked the phone back up and hit redial. As she listened to the ring repeatedly as she glanced back toward the parking lot.

Shae’s sad eyes met her own with a desperation that broke her heart. She was just about to take a step, intending to follow her out when she heard a pleasant voice on the other end of the line.

“Waverly Earp, to what do I owe the pleasure?”

She stared as Shae got in the car, looking much more broken than the last time she had seen her.

“Waves?” Nicole asked on the other end of the call.

As Shae’s white sedan finished backing out of the parking stall, she refocused her attention.

“Are you ther—”

Waverly cut her off before she could finish her question.

“Nicole, what is going on?” She asked with a stern tone.

She could tell she was using the same voice she used with her students when she really wanted them to focus on an important topic she was about to introduce.

There was a short silence, she could hear rustling in the background and the sound of a door shut. The line got much quieter, Nicole had obviously stepped away from the sounds of the police station before she spoke again, “What? What are you talking about? You called me.”

“Your fian—” she stopped when she remembered Nicole’s confession the night before. “—Shae just approached me before I could order my chai—”

Nicole sounded tense. “What? Shae was at Beans? She hates that place. What did she say to you?”

“Yes. I walked in the door and she walked right up to me and said ‘when I see you to make sure you’re okay. And to tell you to come get your stuff.’ Nicole, what didn’t you tell me last night? If you haven’t been staying at home, where have you been staying?”

“Um…”

“When you said ‘your place wasn’t really an option’ for dinner last night, what did you mean by that?”

“Um…”

She huffed as she hopped onto a stool nearby. She let her feet dangle while waiting for a response.

There was a slight pause on the other end of the line before she heard Nicole quietly say. “I’ve been sleeping in my car, sometimes at the station when Nedley’s not here.”

“WHAT THE HELL, NICOLE.” She shouted into the phone. The barista shot her an angry look and she had to pull the phone down, covering the speaker as she apologized profusely before standing up and walking out the door.

“Nicole?” She asked with a much more mellow tone when she felt fresh air hit her face.

“Waves—” Nicole began before stopping.

She could hear shuffling on the end of the line, waiting for a whole two minutes, faintly making out “Coming Sheriff” and “I’ll get right on that, Sheriff” on the other end of the line before Nicole spoke into the phone again, quieter and much more melancholy than when she had first picked up.

“Listen, I _promise_ I will explain everything but I have to go, my boss just caught me in the supply closet and gave me like four jobs to do before I can leave today.”

“I want to talk about this. What are you doing tonight?” She thought about her schedule. Not waiting for a reply, she added. “I’m free after 5:00 pm. When are you off?”

“I won’t get done here until 6:00 tonight.”

“I expect to see you at 6:15 then?” She asked, hope in her voice. “I’ll make you dinner.”

“That sounds great.”  

“Take care of yourself, Nicole.”

“You too, Waves.” There was a slight pause before Waverly heard a quiet “Thank you” on the other end of the line before it went dead.

Sitting in her car as the minutes ticked by, she tried to push down the guilt she felt every time she thought of Nicole raking her hand slowly down her body just a few hours before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: I wrote this on the longest plane ride of my life. Tiny airplane seats and my tall ass body DO NOT MIX on long flights. But at least I banged this thing out. 
> 
> And special thanks to BNNXP for being an amazing beta!!!! (and a f*ckin amazing photographer.) 
> 
> The next chapter of 'I don't need your help' should be updated soon because I got that almost finished by the time I landed.
> 
> ANYWHO, thanks for your comments and kudos and just everything in general. Have a good weekend!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole POV

She hadn’t really intended to stay in her car; she had plenty of friends she thought about reaching out to. But every time she picked up her phone she thought of Megan. And her lips. Her lips on Shae. The woman she’d just broken up with, the same one she had spent eight years of her life with. And then she’d put her phone down and turn up her stereo to drown out her thoughts and sorrows, because sometimes instead of processing a person avoids instead, and that was her current plan. Eventually she just fell asleep in her car; then one day became two, and then a few more.

The first day had been as fine as the first day after a break up could be. She’d called in sick to work after looking in her rear-view mirror and noticing the bags under her red puffy eyes. She knew if she went in the boys at the station would have told her to go home immediately anyway. So she’d done everything she could to process. She’d driven an hour away, up to the mountains and gone for a run on her favorite trail. Then she got back in her car and went to the gym so she could beat the shit out of a punching bag. She took advantage of the showers there before getting back in her car and finally acknowledging the rumbling in her stomach. After a quick trip to a tex mex place nearby, she looked up the price of a hotel room, but after checking her bank account, she thought better of it, so she laid her seat back and fell asleep.

She found herself occupied her second day at work. Nedley had left her a laundry list of tasks to complete and she’d happily checked them off one by one, completely oblivious to her sadness. After she finally left, the thoughts she’d spent all day keeping in the back of her mind reappeared, so she drove to the gym and beat the shit out of a punching bag again. Her knuckles ached that night, but her mind felt better.

The third day was terrible. Shae had texted her in the morning and it was a physical reminder of the things— _people_ she was avoiding. It was a sharp needle in the bubble that was the façade she had been trying to create. She walked around like a zombie for the rest of the day, shuffling paperwork between desks, nodding when people talked, laughing when others laughed, but she was hollow. Eventually Nedley called her in to his office. Bypassing his usual gruff behavior, he offered a “I’m here if you ever need to talk.” She had politely thanked him and slipped out. She walked into the break room after her shift and fell asleep on the couch. When she rose the next morning, she silently wondered why no one had woken her up and told her to go home, but felt a warmth in her heart when she sat up and realized that someone had tossed a blanket over her in the night.

The fourth day she went apartment hunting, turning her phone off completely when Shae’s face appeared on the screen. She instead focused her full attention on the short, bald man pointing to the marble countertops in front of her. After sitting down with him 20 minutes later in his tiny office, she sighed when she saw the numbers, realizing an apartment wouldn’t be a reality for her without a second income, so she awkwardly excused herself and sat back in her car. After wiping the tears away, she drove to Shae’s favorite restaurant and ate dinner before sneaking back into the station and curling up on the couch again.

During her break on the fifth day she called and scheduled an appointment with an advisor at school, figuring if her life was going to reset, she might as well work on something that would help her feel like she was progressing somehow. That call had boosted her spirits for a full hour, before she looked down at her desk and saw she had three missed calls from Shae. She went to the bar that night and drank.

The sixth day she almost picked up when she saw Shae’s name on her screen, but waited until it went to voicemail and called a guy named Tucker instead about an ad he’d posted on a power pole about a room he had for rent. He seemed odd, but she’d scheduled an appointment to go see it anyway because beggars can’t be choosers and she was longing for a real bed.

The seventh day she walked into the coffee shop and was blindsided by another brunette she didn’t realize she’d also been avoiding. Waverly Earp was all fire and sass and the second she was gone Nicole’s heart fell a little. But she had a phone number now. Ten digits that made her stomach turn every time she looked at them. She waited a few hours before she eventually shot off a text and felt her stomach turn again, a different way this time, when her screen lit up with Waverly’s name. After a string of texts that left a smile on her face, she apologized to Sheriff Nedley for being so distracted and put her phone in her pocket to continue her job.

And then on that night it all changed. Never one to fuck them and leave them, she wasn’t completely positive what she was getting into when she laid Waverly down in bed, but she definitely was not going to complain, especially when Waverly shimmied out of her panties with a diabolical smirk. Everything she found out about her that night was fascinating; Waverly’s tiny frame, her bossy personality, which was coupled with a proclivity for submission in bed, the freckle on the curve of her hip that looked like a heart, the way she’d occasionally giggle right before a moan. Nicole didn’t even register that she had slept in a real bed until she was driving to work the next morning with a shit eating grin on her face.

And then Waverly called. Nicole hadn’t had to deal with social cues in over eight years, but it seemed a little soon. She answered anyway because it was Waverly, and how do you say no to a sexy woman who had screamed “yes” repeatedly just a few hours before.

And then it all came back again.

_Shae._

Shae had found Waverly, and of course she would because she had been so inattentive before and she had promised to change.

_Fuck._

_Fuck, fuck, fuck._

The second she had an opportunity to take a break, she stepped outside into the raincloud darkened sky and walked briskly to her car. Sliding into the sedan, she slumped down and pulled out her phone, finally making the call she had been avoiding for over a week.

“Hey, Shae.” She said with a grimace when she heard the curt tone of her ex-fiancée pick up.

There was a long pause, a sigh, and finally a, “I’m happy to hear you’re alive. I see my message found its way to you.”

She rubbed her thigh absently as she began speaking before she was even sure what she was going to say. “About that—”

Interrupting before she could really begin, Shae asked, “Do I want to know?”

Nicole took a moment to appreciate Shae’s ability to assess a situation. She’d always been good at it, but the years spent in medical school and especially during her residency had made her perfect at reading a room, even when it came to deeply personal matters in her own life. She was sure Shae knew this story contained more than she’d want to hear, and respected that she was smart enough to spare herself.

“No.” She breathed out as she leaned forward and placed her head on the steering wheel.

Without missing a beat, Shae continued, “That’s what I thought. When can you come gather your things?”

She knew she couldn’t put it off, so she made a mental note to text Tucker and tell her she couldn’t make their appointment tomorrow.

Lifting her head, she spoke into the phone as she watched Lonnie through her windshield as he struggled to open his cruiser door while holding a gym bag, three Gatorade bottles, and a bag of Cheetos.

“I work tomorrow but I can later. Is 7 pm okay?”

“That works. Will you leave your key on the table?”

Nicole felt a pang of guilt eat at her core at the question. It was a finality that she knew she needed, but it was being asked in such a despondent tone, a despondent tone that she had caused.

She paused for a moment before she breathed out, “Yeah. Thanks Shae.”

Without another response, the line was dead. Fifteen seconds later she was sobbing again.

______

“Hi there.” Nicole said with a smile when the door whipped open.

“Don’t hi me.”

She took in Waverly’s angry stance, which matched both her tone and her expression. She shrugged, choosing to ignore it as she stepped inside and waved the bottle in her hands with a smile.

“I brought wine.”

Waverly raised her eyes skeptically, as she watched Nicole glide in and take a seat on the couch.

“You haven’t got enough for a hotel room but you went out and bought me alcohol?”

“I’d like to think it’s for us.” She said with a grimace, laughing halfheartedly for a few seconds before it died off awkwardly. “I’ll just put this here then.” She leaned forward and placed it on the coffee table, smiling slightly when Waverly grabbed it and left the room. She heard the refrigerator door open and close before Waverly reappeared, sitting in an armchair opposite her.

“Are you okay?” Waverly politely asked as she crossed her legs.

She tracked the movement of the exposed skin of Waverly’s tanned legs. She’d obviously not changed from her work attire, still in a black pencil skirt and white button up. Her hair was pulled up in a messy bun and her makeup was flawless, a far cry from Nicole’s haphazard appearance. As she finished trailing her eyes up Waverly’s body, she froze when she was met with an annoyed expression.

“Nicole—” Waverly said as she shifted slightly in her seat, laying her hands over her thighs. “We can’t.”

The thought of their previous activities had been on her mind all day long. The release had been nice. She was only human and, if she was being honest, it had been a very long while, but it wasn’t just that, Waverly was also this enigmatic presence that she couldn’t get enough of. She’d spent the majority of her drive over trying, and failing miserably, to convince herself she was only going to see Waverly to explain her current situation, and definitely not to take her to bed again.

“I know. I didn’t come here for that.” Nicole finally said, trying to mask her desire with the lie.

Waverly raised her eyebrows and huffed out a laugh. “But the wine?”

She dropped her head as she tried to hide her smirk. Looking back up, she nodded. “Okay, maybe I did a little.”

She took comfort when Waverly heartily laughed, doubling over a little before she collected herself and refocused on the conversation.

“It’s not like I didn’t like it.” Waverly began to explain as she mindlessly played with the ring on her right hand. She smiled and looked down as she continued, “God, I… I needed that. And you were quite honestly the bes—” She stopped herself and looked up when she heard a huff of air across from her.

Frowning at Nicole’s expression, Waverly asked, “Why are you doing that with your face?”

“Doing what?” She forced out quickly, trying to downplay her smirk.

“Looking so… smug.”

“I believe it had something to do with you saying I was ‘the best…’” Nicole made air quotes before she asked, “I’m just curious, how were you planning on finishing that sentence?”

“The smugness is definitely a step up from the disheveled Nicole I met a few months ago, but it’s definitely not attractive, so knock it off.” Waverly said as she stood up and moved to the couch, taking a seat at the other end and tucking a leg under the other to face towards Nicole. “How are you?”

 _The disheveled Nicole._ She thought. _The same one that lost everything a few months back._

She’d almost forgotten the reason she came. Rubbing the tops of her thighs, she took a deep breath in.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, I’ve been avoiding telling anyone.”

“Why?”

She thought for a moment as to why she had been avoiding everyone before she spoke up.

“I don’t want pity.”

“I won’t give it to you then.” Waverly said as she shifted forward slightly. “I would have let you stay here.”

“You don’t even know me.” Nicole said with a laugh.

“You seem fine enough.” Waverly shrugged.

She chuckled before she slid over a little, sitting much closer to Waverly now. She leaned forward and poked Waverly’s thigh. “I’m amazing. How. Dare. You.”

Waverly gave her an inquisitive look before she shook her head. “What did I tell you about the smugness?”

“Okay. Okay.” They both laughed before Nicole spoke up again. “I promise I didn’t come here to sleep with you.”

“Good.”

Nicole took note that Waverly’s tone seemed more like a question than a statement.

“Do you want some dinner?” Waverly asked.

Nicole nodded gratefully. “Dinner would be wonderful.”

“Good, because I actually already picked up Chin Wah’s for you. I couldn’t remember what your favorite was, though. Hopefully I did okay.”

Nicole’s heart fluttered at the thought. Waverly had picked up her favorite food before she had come over.

“You’re amazing.” She hurried out before she had a chance to stop herself.

Waverly rolled her eyes. “It’s Chinese takeout. That’s giving me _way_ too much credit, Nicole.”

“You really are.”

Waverly leaned forward; placing her hands on Nicole’s thighs and looking into her eyes, she quietly said, “And you’re cute,” before she stood up and walked towards the kitchen, leaving Nicole on the couch.

“Are you coming?” Waverly hollered back as she walked out of the room.

______

As they chatted about various topics, Nicole took in how nice it was to be sitting in a room with a person she found interesting, and who enjoyed paying attention to her. It had been a long time since she’d had a whole conversation like this with Shae. Their lives had been so separate for so long; eating quick meals as they had time as she listened to stories about the hospital. She’d always felt like she was bothering Shae when she’d talk work, eventually just settling in to listen.

They’d opened the wine, settling back onto the couch with their glasses after a while, alternating between almost flirting, serious conversation, and giggling hysterically before Waverly eventually yawned and looked over seriously.

“I would like you to stay tonight.” She finished as she removed the hand away from her face that she had just used to cover her yawn.

Nicole eyed her suspiciously with a smirk. “You said we couldn’t sleep together.”

Waverly rolled her eyes as she pointed to a closed door a few feet away Nicole hadn’t noticed until now.

“And we won’t.” Waverly said firmly. “You’re going to sleep in my spare bedroom.”

"Ah. Yeah. That makes sense.... Well, I wouldn't want to impose." Nicole noted the displeased face she was getting from Waverly and quickly thought of a new strategy to get out of this situation. She pointed down to her jeans and shrugged, "I don’t really have anything to sleep in so I shoul—”

“That’s fine." Waverly said without hesitation. "I’ll let you borrow a pair of pajamas. You're not leaving here if you don't have a bed you're heading to.”

"Well if you're sure you don't mind..." She didn't want to be a burden, but the persistence she was getting from Waverly was making it really hard to escape the situation.

She took note of the bright smile she was greeted with, completely softening her resolve.

Waverly playfully slapped her shoulder. “Of course I don't mind silly, I’ll be right back.”

She jumped up and practically sprinted up the stairs. Nicole nervously fiddled with her phone, liking a photo of her cousin's newborn before standing up and walking over to a large photo on the wall of a fortress amongst lush green grass almost completely surrounded by water. She was admiring the lush greenery when Waverly walked back into the room.

“That’s Dunnottar Castle.” Waverly said as she walked over.

“It’s gorgeous.”

“It’s even prettier in person. I took that when I was on a study abroad in Scotland in college.” Waverly set the clothes down on the back of the couch and walked forward, standing next to Nicole, close enough that their shoulders were touching.

“Do you travel much?” She asked as she looked over at Waverly.

Waverly shook her head. “Not as much as I’d like to anymore. Everyone’s usually busy with their lives when I have the time to go.”

“I’ll go with you if you want.”

“You don’t know me. How do you know I’m not a murderer?”

“You seem fine enough.” Nicole said with a smirk, as she lightly elbowed Waverly.

Waverly giggled and turned to face Nicole.

“Hey, that’s my line.”

“Learn from the best, I guess.” She shrugged with a smile before turning around and looking down to the bundle of clothes. “Are these for me?”

“Yeah. If you want to grab them I will show you around.”

Leading them down the hall, Waverly pointed out the bathroom with the fresh toothbrush she had left out before she walked them back to the room right off of the living room. As Nicole entered she noticed that it looked like it hadn’t been used in a while.

Waverly nervously wiped dust off the dresser as she walked by before she turned around with a guilty look. “Sorry, I haven’t had a guest in a while.”

“It’s okay.” Nicole looked at the cobweb in the corner and shuddered before she turned and smiled at Waverly. “Thank you for letting me stay.”

Waverly’s face lit up as she spoke.  “Of course, thank you for actually staying.”

There was a moment of awkward silence before Waverly nervously pointed to the door with her thumbs. “Well I guess I’ll let you get changed.”

“Care to join me?” Nicole said with a twinkle in her eye.

“Nice try, Haught.” Waverly said as she turned to leave. She stopped abruptly whipped back around.

“Oh, Nicole?”

“Yeah.” She said as she dropped the clothes Waverly had given her onto the bed.

“My husband’s coming by in the morning. You may see him; I’ll text him and let him know you’re here.”

“Husband?” Nicole asked, stunned.

“Oh, no. No, no. Well… ex. The divorce was finalized last week… Hmm… Ex. That’s weird to say. We were together for so long.” She fidgeted with her fingers as she thought aloud before she looked back over. “Anyway… His name is Champ and he’s running by to pick up some mail and grab some things out of the garage. Just ignore him if you see him. He’s kind of a big man, lot of tattoos, used to ride bulls professionally. Don’t let him intimidate you, he’s actually very nice.”

Nicole stared, disbelieving. So many thoughts were swirling through her mind. Waverly, the lovely, charming, woman in front of her had a boy—man. Yes, she definitely implied man. Tattoos? Married. Well,  _very_  recently married, to this petite college professor she had slept with less than 24 hours ago.

“Nicole?”

She was jolted out of her thoughts.

“Sorry?”

“I said ‘Do you need anything else?’”

“Oh no, thank you.”

“Of course. I’ll see you tomorrow night?”

She cocked her head to the side. "Tomorrow?"

"Well yeah, you're not going to have another place to stay before then are you?"

"Oh... Probably not, no."

"Well then I'll see you tomorrow night. I'll pick up Greek. I've been craving a gyro."

"Oh, wait. I told Shae I was going to go pick up my stuff tomorrow night."

"Do you need help moving?" Waverly asked with an eager expression.

Nicole sat down on the edge of the bed and began untying her shoes as she talked. "No. Shae's family bought most of the furniture. The bed is mine, but I don't think I'm going to take it."

"Okay. Well come over after you are done, okay? I'll leave something for you in the fridge. And if you need a place to put some stuff, you can keep it in here."

"Are you sure?" She asked skeptically as she pulled off a sock.

“Positive. See you tomorrow?” Waverly asked with a hopeful tone.

Nicole simply nodded as Waverly left the room.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly POV

Waverly padded down the stairs, careful not to wake Nicole. She hadn’t slept well, confused about the situation currently asleep in her guest bedroom. Everything in her core told her that Nicole was something special, but more than anything she wanted to make sure that she was okay. The more she learned about Nicole’s recent history, the more her heart broke. So many things had gone wrong for Nicole as of late and she was determined to do everything in her power to help correct that. This vow meant that she could not and would not pursue anything, regardless of their night already spent together, before she was absolutely positive that Nicole was whole and ready for something again.

Waverly walked into her garage, waiting patiently in the driver’s seat as the large door cranked open before she backed out and drove to the park for a morning run. It was earlier than she was accustomed to waking, but she knew the only way to slow her racing mind was to spend an hour working out her thoughts with some good cardio, and a run in fresh air always left her feeling calm.

The light was barely cresting over the surrounding mountains as she pulled into her parking space at the sparsely populated park. It was a popular destination for runners before the sun got too high and the temperatures became unbearable, but it was earlier than she’d ever been, and apparently a little early for other runners as well. She got out and tucked her keys and phone into her armband before she put in her headphones and quickly stretched before she took off, running through the sparsely populated park.

After a 50-minute run to her _Powerful Women of Pop_ playlist, she didn’t have any specific answers, but appreciated that the clarity in her mind. She stretched in front of her car once more, smiling at the passersby now showing up for their own runs before she got in and backed out of her space.

On the drive home, she decided to switch up her routine, noting that since she was already out, she would stop for her morning tea. She pulled into the parking lot of the shop that had unofficially become hers and Nicole’s. Hoping for a minute she’d see her, she looked around the shop for Nicole before she remembered it was much too early and took her place in line.

As she waited in the short line, thinking about her schedule for that day, she felt her phone ping and grabbed grabbed it, noting a little disappointment when it wasn’t from Nicole. 

> _Champ: Boss called me in today. Be there tomorrow if that works? Sorry babe._

She shook her head at the ‘babe’ before she quickly responded with a “Not a problem. Tomorrow’s good.”

Now at the front of the line, she stepped forward and placed her order, hastily adding a nonfat mocha with an extra shot at the very last second before she handed her card over.

She sent a few work emails from her phone as she waited and politely smiled as the pretty barista who always nervously handed over her chai in the morning told her she liked her running shoes.

She quietly snuck back into the house, placing the coffee on the counter with a spare key before heading back upstairs to shower and get changed.

On her way out the door for the day, she shot off a quick text letting Nicole know Champ wouldn’t be over and that there was something waiting for her.

The drive to work was calm, she put on soft music and thanked the stars that run had helped soothe her soul. She didn’t know what to do about Nicole, but knew no matter what, she would do what she could to help her.

After parking her car and pulling out her phone, she couldn’t help but smile when she read Nicole’s response.

> _Nicole: You’re so amazing. Thank you!_

______

“So let me get this… well I want to say straight here but that doesn’t really fit does it? Let me get this not-straight. You, tiny, sweet, adorable Waverly Earp, banged a hot redhead?” Wynonna asked a little incredulously as she set her beer down on the coffee table and shifted a leg under her body. Setting her arm across the back of the couch, she fiddled with the throw as she grinned expectantly at Waverly.

After an impromptu drop in from Wynonna, the pair had been catching up over beers and Keeping Up with the Kardashian reruns. Having long abandoned the show, they were now opting solely for talking.

“I don’t think I ‘ _banged_ ’ her. What’s the singular of bang?” She said as she thought about the night she had spent with Nicole. There was a beat of silence before she corrected herself. “Bang? What am I thinking? I don’t talk like this.” She shook her head and looked at Wynonna. “I didn’t _bang_ her. We had _sex_.”

“Fine. You had sex with a hot redhead who you’ve now forced to stay in your guest bedroom?”

“I didn’t force her!” Waverly quickly argued.

“You told her that you’d see her tomorrow and, at least the way you told your story, it kind of sounds like she didn’t have a choice.” Wynonna reasoned as she leaned over and picked up her beer again.

Waverly shifted, bringing both of her feet onto the couch so that her knees were against her chest. She grabbed the throw pillow next to her and clutched it loosely between her chest and her knees.

“Was that rude of me? She didn’t have a place to stay and I thought I was helping. God, was I rude?” Waverly asked.

Wynonna laughed aloud after finishing her sip. “Giving a person a place to stay? No. But did you tell her you have a husband?”

Waverly solemnly shook her head. “I don’t anymore, the divorce was actually finalized last week.”

“Fucking finally, thank god. I’ll never have to buy that man another secret Santa gift ever again.” Wynonna said as she set the empty bottle down and grabbed the second beer she had on the coffee table.

Waverly rolled her eyes. “I’m fine, thanks for asking.”

Wynonna looked regretful. She leaned over and soothingly rubbed her shoulder. “Shit, you’re right. Are you okay? I’m sorry I didn’t even think to ask.”

“Yeah, it’s definitely weird.” She held up her hand and wiggled her ring finger. “I’m still not used to this being bare.”

“You know you were too good fo—”

“Wynonna.” Waverly warned as she set the pillow down and grabbed the beer off of the side table.

“I’m just saying—” Wynonna tried to argue.

Speaking up before her sister could, Waverly began, “Hardy James is a good man. It’s not his fault that we got married too young and then we grew into completely separate people. The choice to divorce was just like the choice we made when we got married: mutual.”

“I know, I’m ju—”

“So I banged a hot redhead.” Waverly loudly interrupted, knowing it was the quickest way to get her sister off of the topic of her ex-husband, a man Wynonna had always hated and Waverly was tired of defending.

Unfortunately, at that exact moment the front door abruptly opened and Nicole walked into the room carrying a pillow, a box, and a duffel bag.

Wynonna’s head yanked towards the direction of the new person in the room and cast a wicked grin when she noted the color of her hair.

“Heeeyyyyy, hot redhead. Need a hand?”

Waverly looked over to her sister as she spoke and glared at her before she jumped up, stumbling a little due to the alcohol coursing through her system.

“Nicole! How are you?” She said in a panic as she rushed across the room, hoping she had not heard her bring up their sexual encounter mere seconds before. Waverly shut the front door before turning around and tried to take the box from Nicole’s hands.

“Fine.” Nicole said suspiciously as she turned her body away from her. “This is probably too heavy for you.”

Waverly narrowed her eyes.

“I’m strong.” She said pointedly as she moved to follow the box that Nicole was keeping out of reach.

“Oh, trust me, I know.” She said firmly as she stepped back away from Waverly’s grasp. “I remember _just_ what you’re capable of.” Nicole drawled smoothly.

Waverly dropped her head. “You heard, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, I heard. You practically yelled it as I was unlocking your front door. So it’s confirmed, you think I’m hot then?”

Waverly stared at the muscles holding the heavy box for a second before she looked into Nicole’s bright brown eyes.

“I mean…” She trailed off with a shrug, knowing she was failing miserably at displaying indifference.

Nicole leaned forward slightly and smiled as her dimples popped.

“That’s very good to know. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Do you two want me to leave so you can bang again?” Wynonna asked loudly from her place on the couch.

“Sorry,” Nicole said as she set the box down on the floor and placed the duffel and pillow atop it. She walked across the room with an outstretched arm. “I’m Nicole, Nicole Haught.”

“HAUGHT REDHEAD!” Wynonna practically yelled as she took Nicole’s offered hand, quickly shaking it as she looked towards Waverly. “Holy shit, Waves. You really did bang a Haught redhead?”

“She did bang a hot redhead.” Nicole agreed as she walked back to her things.

“Can everyone please stop saying ‘bang’?” Waverly groaned while quickly grabbing the pillow and duffel before Nicole could.

She watched, a little enamored as Nicole’s muscles popped again as she picked up the box.

“You started it, baby girl.” Wynonna said from the couch as she nursed her beer.

“Stop it. I’m going to help Nicole and I’ll be back in a minute. Behave yourself.” She chided as she walked to the guest bedroom. As soon as Nicole cleared the entryway, she shut the door behind her.

“I’m soooo super sorry about that.” Waverly said as she dropped the duffel and pillow on the bed and turned around.

She was met with a smirk and mischievous eyes that only broke contact to set the box next to her other things. Nicole stood tall and stalked forward, sending Waverly back slowly. Her back hit the wall and she felt her breath hitch as Nicole entered her personal space.

“Tell me more about how hot you think I am.” She purred, forcing a gulp from Waverly.

“I— You— yes, attractive.” She stumbled out, cursing the alcohol coursing through her veins. She swallowed thickly and continued. “I—I’m assuming you already knew I thought that, though.”

“I had an idea, but confirmation is always nice.” Nicole rested her hand against the wall, semi trapping Waverly in the bubble she’d already created.

Waverly seized the moment, lifting her hand, she gently placed it on Nicole’s cheek and stared into her eyes.

“Are you okay?” She tenderly asked as she stroked her thumb soothingly back and forth over Nicole’s soft skin.

Nicole closed her eyes as she leaned into the touch.

There was several moments of silence, the mood in the room shifting, before Nicole opened her eyes, now misty, and quietly spoke.

“Not really, no.”

Waverly immediately dropped her hand and stepped forward. She wrapped her arms around Nicole’s middle and squeezed. Her head rested in the crook of her neck and the smell of vanilla dipped donuts enveloped her senses. The embrace felt welcoming and warm, but she ignored it as she felt Nicole’s hot tear fall off of her cheek and slide down her own.

She pulled back to look at Nicole, who quickly looked away. Nicole tried to bring a hand up to wipe it away but Waverly forced it down before bringing her own hand up and clearing it herself.

“What can I do for you?” She said as she proceeded to tenderly stroke Nicole’s cheek.

Nicole sniffled as she tried to compose herself. “I honestly don’t think there is anything you can do.”

Waverly nodded in understanding. She dropped her hand and embraced her once more. They stayed in a cocoon of peaceful silence for a few minutes as Waverly softly rubbed her back.

Eventually Nicole backed away, breaking contact as she moved back to the box. She hastily wiped away the remaining liquid in her eyes as she spoke. “I brought you a gift; to say thank you for looking after me.”

“Nicole.” Waverly gently scolded. “You didn’t have to do that. Remember, I don’t do favors with the expectation of getting something in return.”

She peeked into the box as Nicole rifled through, noting a velvet burgundy ring box that looked like it had been tossed haphazardly on top of a collection of books, papers, and photo frames.

“I know, but I wanted to.” Nicole said with her back turned. “You’ve taken me in, given me a place to stay. You got me my favorite coffee this morning. How could I not?”

Nicole finished searching through the box and pulled out a book. She tentatively handed it forward as she shuffled nervously on her feet. “It’s the one we talked about.”

Waverly looked down at the cartoon sponge on the cover and cocked her head to the side.

“Bikini Bottom Riddles?” She stared for a moment, unsure of what to say, or when exactly they had talked about Spongebob and his riddles, before she looked up and caught the smirk on Nicole’s lips.

“We never talked about this, did we?” She asked as Nicole burst into a fit of giggles.

She shook her head and huffed out a “No,” as Waverly rolled up the book and began hitting her with it.

“No. We did not.” Nicole said between laughter as she reached forward and grabbed the book, opening it. As she stilled, she spoke again. “It’s a classic though, you should read it.”

Waverly shook her head, trying to force down the smile playing at her lips. Watching Nicole laugh felt good, an abrupt change from a few minutes ago.

Nicole pulled an envelope from the book before she tossed it back into the box. She nervously bit her bottom lip before she began. “I really did get you this.”

She pushed forward the envelope and Waverly hesitantly took it.

“You didn’t have to, but thank you.”

“Maybe you should open it before you thank me.” Nicole softly said as she sat down on the bed and watched.

Waverly eyed her for a moment before she opened the envelope and smiled at the pair of tickets inside.

“What is this?” She mindlessly asked as she pulled them out.

“It’s a pair of tickets to the symphony. I know you said you like classical music, and I was really hoping they had something a little bit classier than Jurassic Park in concert at the amphitheater, but I thought maybe that would be fun. You could take Jeremy. You said he likes that kind of stuff too, right?”

“Nicole.” She felt a warmth flow through her. “How did you remember all of that?”

“I don’t know. You’re interesting, and I really wanted to get you something… Something you’d like. My budget is nonexistent so they’re only lawn seats, but I hope it’s a fun night anyway.”

“I love it, thank you. This means a lot.” She nodded and smiled warmly. There was a momentary pause as she distractedly dreamed about kissing the soft lips in front of her, before she remembered her vow.“Do you maybe want to come watch mindless TV with us? We’ve got a good Kardashian binge going.”

Nicole smiled and shook her head. “If you don’t mind, I’ve kind of had a long day. I was hoping to go to bed.”

“Oh, of course.” Waverly backed away slowly, still facing Nicole. “That makes total sense.”

She remembered the tickets in her hand and brought them up, fanning the air. “Thanks again for these.”

Nicole nodded. “Not a problem, I hope it’s fun.”

Waverly reached the door and reluctantly turned around. She stopped and looked back smiling once more before she opened it and walked back out into the living room. She settled next to a curious Wynonna and tried to ignore the regret of not asking Nicole to go with her as she was greeted with her sister’s knowing grin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took longer than it should have! Thanks SOOO much for your patience and especially for your comments encouraging more. They definitely got me writing again.
> 
> Thanks to BNNXP for reading it through!
> 
> Oh, and I'm on Twitter! @holyshihtzu4 Come say hi or tweet with me on Friday nights if you're ever inclined :)


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